What It Means to Make Amends
by Riegella li Ersaren
Summary: .:SPOILERS:. .:Crowe x Eleyna, hinted Edge/Reimi:. After finding himself on Roak, Crowe seeks to find his true purpose, and hopes to be reunited with those he cares about. However, the hardships he has to endure have only begun...
1. Prologue

What It Means to Make Amends

**A/N: Well, what can I say? It's an SO4 fanfic, and it's Crowe-centric too. I mean, the guy really needs some appreciation...and I just happen to be a major fangirl of his. x.x; Ironically, I haven't even played SO4 yet (don't even have an Xbox 360, haha) but I do get my info from watching recorded cutscenes (including endings) on Youtube, and I suppose GameFAQs also counts. -cough spoiled myself silly cough- In fact, all the theories gathered on the boards are basically the inspiration for this work here. I'll, ehm...give a small insight in the next chapter...maybe.**

**Timeline: Takes place after the hidden "Crowe ending". (This prologue, however, takes place during the events before).**

**Rating: T for now. May go up, may not.**

**Warnings: SPOILERS, SPOILERS, AND MORE SPOILERS. Aside from that, some info may be off because again, I don't own the game. So uh, no flaming...'kay? And uh...Crowe just -might- be slightly OOC.**

**Possible pairs: TBA later.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Star Ocean series. If I did, I would make it official that Ilia Silvestri is Claude C. Kenny's mother. And SO4 would have more of Crowe. A lot more. xD**

**Notes: This chapter, and this chapter only, is told from Crowe's POV (he's narrating). All the other chapters will be third-person.**

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* * *

**

_**P r o l o g u e**_

_A.D. 2064. After the tragic aftermath of World War III, Earth was reduced to a desolate, ruined, inhospitable world, and humankind had sought to start over - by venturing into the great star ocean, to find a new world of their own... a world without any conflict or wars that would have the same catastrophic effect. _

_Several years later...S.D. 10. The first official Space Reconnaisance Force mission had begun. Five SRF fleets had begun their journey into the universe, as mankind's last hope. _

_I was one of Earth's "seeds of hope", as the captain of the SRF-001 Aquila. My reason for joining the SRF was to help humanity make amends for their past mistakes._

_But..._

_I feel like I didn't do anything to help. In fact, I can't help but feel as if I have only made things worse..._

_It all started when we were heading for Aeos. As the Aquila executed an emergency warp-out following a warp anomaly, we had ended up far from Aeos, where perhaps I had made my first costly mistake..._

_

* * *

_

"Where...are we?" I pondered as I looked out into the visuals. Amidst the endless ocean of stars, Aeos was nowhere to be seen. "Status report!"

"Captain, we appear to have warped out to an unknown region of space. I can't seem to find Aeos or any other planets on the radar, sir."

"Damn..." I muttered to myself. _I wonder how the others are doing...are they safe? Did they make it to Aeos?_ I thought. I was especially concerned about Edge and Reimi, two old friends of mine who were also in the SRF - onboard the SRF-003 Calnus, in fact. I could only hope they made it to Aeos safely.

"Hold on!" one of my crewmen exclaimed. "What is that?"

I looked out into the visuals once again...and saw a foreign spacecraft - it definitely wasn't one of the SRF's ships - pursued by some...monstrous-looking ship that looked like it had fused with a frightening creature. "What...the hell is that thing? !" I thought out loud. The alien warship then fired at the other ship, damaging it, and it was then that I knew what to do.

"What are your orders, Captain?"

...

"Charge all weapons, aim for the warship, and fire!"

As the alien warship disintegrated, we immediately rushed to the spacecraft.

"What do we do now, Captain?"

"...Hail the vessel."

The visual screen showed a young man, about my age, with long, purple hair and pointed ears. _What kind of race is...?_

I shouted to the man over the signal, "We shot the warship down! It's safe. The enemies are gone!"

When the man responded, I could not understand a word he said.

"What are you saying? ... Hey! This ship is from Earth! We're not your enemies! It's all right!"

He did not seem to be in any sort of distress as he continued to speak in the complex language I could not understand, even as flames continued to engulf the ship's bridge.

"Damn it...I can't understand you! Your ship is finished! You **have** to get out of there!"

I'm not even sure he was aware that I couldn't understand him. He seemed to be saying something about "Myuria" a lot. At the time, I didn't know that "Myuria" was the name of this man's wife.

"'Myu...ria'? What does that mean?...Hey, you all right? Say something."

He only said, "Myuria..."

"Hang in there...No! Don't die on me!"

In a matter of seconds, the transmission ended as the ship was entirely swallowed up in flames. I could do nothing but watch as the man died inside the exploding spacecraft.

_Why?...Am I that helpless? I couldn't even save him..._

"Captain?"

I immediately snapped out of my trance. "Yes?"

"I'm picking up something else on the radar...judging by its signature, it's likely an escape pod."

_A survivor...? _"Hurry, hail the escape pod!"

The on-screen image changed to show a young woman, with long, pink hair and pointed ears, just like the man I had failed to rescue. _Another one...?_

However, the minute she saw me through the transmission in her escape pod, she seemed...terrified. Perhaps...terrified of me. I didn't know why back then, but before I could say anything, she started to scream.

I quickly turned to one of my crewmen and shouted, "End the transmission!"

"Roger."

* * *

_Unfortunately, that was the least of my concerns then. As we left, we were under attack by the same hostile race - the Cardianon- that had attacked the civilian ship earlier. The minute I thought my crew and I were done for, we had received a transmission from a Morphus - the same race as those two people I saw earlier- scientist who went by the name of Bacchus D-79, who was on a mission to investigate a hostile alien race called the "Grigori". After hearing some background on the Grigori, I agreed to assist him - myself and my crew. But we didn't get far, as, after arriving on the Cardianon mothership, we were all captured. After I told him of my predicament, he told me to head to his home planet, En II, and to deliver a message concerning some new details about the Grigori. He also handed me a translator to decode the message I could not understand earlier._

_

* * *

_

"I can't believe...we made it out alive..." I muttered to myself, out of breath, as I sat back in the captain's seat.

"What are your orders now, Captain?"

I turned to my navigator, and said, "Set a course for En II."

"Roger."

I stood up and began to walk out of the Bridge.

"Captain? Where are you going?"

"If any of you need me, I'll be in my quarters."

...

As I walked into my quarters, I sat down on my bed, looking out into the stars. _What could this all mean?_ I thought. Just then, I remembered that I had the translator device, so I decided to listen to the message again. _What could that man have meant to say...?_

I activated the translator as I listened to the recording, and what I heard the man say astonished me.

"...You people saved me?"

_What...?_

"Many thanks... I am of the Morphus. My name is...Lucien Tionysus."

_This man was also...?_

"Brave man...In the hopes that my words will someday be passed on, I leave this message with you...I pray that you will be able to deliver this, my final message, to her...My beloved wife, Myuria..."

_So Myuria is this man's...?_

"Please, forgive me for sending you into space alone. I didn't have much time left, and it was the only way to protect you..."

Simply by listening to his words, I could feel the regret he felt in those moments. I couldn't help but have the feeling that I had unknowingly caused such a great tragedy. A tragedy that I wanted to avoid, but just couldn't.

"Myuria, I regret there are not many things I could leave to you...But I am so thankful for the happiness that meeting you brought me...so happy for all the wonderful days we spent together...Myuria. Myuria, my love, I will love you forever..."

I was speechless, as I felt such sorrow come over me like a torrent of rain. _It was my fault...I know it._

"I want you to live...and be happy..." And at that, the message ended.

Trembling, I gently placed the device that held the recorded message into my pocket. Then...I could hold it back no longer.

"Damn it!" I shouted. "Why...? Why did something like this have to..."

I heard the door to my quarters open. "Captain, we'll be entering En II shortly...Are you okay?"

"Huh?" I glanced at my subordinate and realized that I was starting to cry. I brushed my tears away and said, "I'm fine...let's go."

_Myuria..._ I thought to myself as I started to walk out of my quarters. _She must have been the woman I saw that time, in the escape pod...When I see her again, I'll apologize to her._

_

* * *

_

_After arriving at the Morphus's home planet of En II, I met with their leader, Giotto Vandione, and learned the disturbing truth about the Grigori. Shortly after, I had received confirmation of a Grigori hiding out on Aeos, and I immediately headed there. On the way, I had spotted several Eldarian ships under attack while attempting to evacuate from Eldar, which was about to be swallowed whole by their sun. I managed to rescue the Captain of the 13th Armored Division, Arumat P. Thanatos, from his damaged ship, and escorted the Eldarian refugee ships to Aeos. Unfortunately, another tragedy was about to unfold...or rather, one after another._

_

* * *

_

It turned out that the Eldarian exploration base was in ruins, and it just so happened that Edge and his crew were under attack by Phantoms. After Arumat and I wiped out the remaining Phantoms, I walked over to Edge and his crew.

"Mr. Crowe," Bacchus said, "I see you made it to En II safely."

"Thanks for your help on Cardianon, Bacchus." I turned to Edge and Reimi, and said, "Yo, Edge, Reimi. Long time no see, huh?"

As Edge walked over to me, he said, "You bastard, I thought you'd gotten yourself killed. Crowe..."

Unexpectedly, a flash of lightning struck the ground where I was about to walk over to. I jumped back, and saw a figure stepping out of the shadows.

It was her. She looked somewhat different than when I saw her first, but I knew that was her.

Myuria.

"Stop!" I heard Edge shout to Myuria.

"Just stand aside, boy...unless you have a desire to get caught up in this...!" Myuria replied, her voice full of rage, as she pointed her rod at me.

_What's going on? Why is she...?_

I looked at her, and said, "Have we...met somewhere before? I'm not the type to forget a pretty face."

_Does she want to...kill me? Why?_

"Mufufufu...finally...finally!" She started to laugh insanely, and I knew it had something to do with me. "I knew staying with the boy was the right choice. I never imagined I'd find you so quickly...my mortal enemy!"

"Stop!" I heard Reimi cry to Myuria. "This is some kind of misunderstanding!"

Myuria ignored Reimi, and, still looking at me, said to me, "You may have forgotten me, but ohhh, I remember you. Your face hasn't been out of my mind for even a moment...! At last, here and now, my beloved shall be avenged!"

_So that's what this is about..._

Myuria grasped her rod tightly, charging her spell, tears streaming down her face. "I'll kill you...I WILL KILL YOU! !"

Arumat stepped forward, but I gestured him to stay back. I knew I could handle this situation.

"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE! ! !"

As the lightning blast fired from her rod, I dodged the blast as quickly as I could, ran to her, and gripped her staff to stop her.

"I'm sorry, Myuria," I said, as she struggled to get her rod out of my grip. "Could you just...listen to me for a minute?"

"Let go! Let go of it! !"

"I have something for you...from Lucien Tionysus."

Myuria stopped struggling when she heard Lucien's name, and looked at me. "How do you know Lucien's name...?"

I pulled the device that held Lucien's final recording out of my pocket, and began to relay the message. At first, Myuria was suspicious, but when she heard Lucien say, "You people saved me?" she was shocked.

Dropping her staff, she took the device from my hands. "Lucien...!"

"Lucien left a message before he died," I said. "Please...I want you to hear it."

Simply hearing that sorrowful message again made my heart ache. I was overcome with feelings of guilt, as in a way, I was responsible for all this.

After the message ended, Edge asked me, "What was that about?"

Turning to him, I replied, "The warp accident when we were heading for Aeos." I turned to Myuria, and continued, "When we were thrown out of the wormhole, we sighted a vessel under attack by a Cardianon warship. Once we shot down the Cardianon warship, we hailed the crippled vessel and offered to rescue their crew."

Myuria turned to me, and started to sob.

"But..." I continued, "as you just heard...we weren't able to communicate with each other properly."

"Myuria Tionysus." I looked at her. "I've been searching for you ever since that incident. Finally, I am able to pass this on. And also..."

I looked down, overcome with regret. "I finally get to apologize. I'm sorry...so sorry I wasn't able to protect someone so important to you."

As Myuria heard those words, she collapsed onto her knees, sobbing, clutching the device that held the recording tightly. "Lucien...Lucien...!"

Simply by looking at her, I could feel her sadness. I decided to just leave her be, and then proceeded to tell Edge and his companions all that I learned about the Grigori. When they learned what had happened to everyone at the base, they were overwhelmed with grief. It was just...depressing, seeing them like that. It was like all hope had just dissipated.

"Damn it!" Edge shouted. "What the hell are the Grigori? Why would they...do something like that! ?"

"I have no idea," I said to him, "but I do know there are steps to take to make sure such tragedies aren't repeated. Too many lives were sacrificed..."

"What have I...what have I been doing?" I heard Faize, an Eldarian and one of Edge's comrades, say. "My bretheren were threatened by the Grigori, and I...didn't do anything to help...!"

I looked at him, and yet again I found myself being the bearer of bad news.

"That's right, you're Eldarian. There's somethi-"

"I will explain," Arumat said.

"Arumat...are you sure?"

"I am."

After Arumat told Faize all that had happened, Faize was in denial. "That's a lie...it has to be..." I could hear his voice full of disbelief and sadness. "It's all lies! You **must** be lying!"

"Keep your head, lad!" Arumat retorted. "You may have lost your home, but if you are an Eldarian, do not lose your pride with it."

In an attempt to console him, I walked over to him and said, "Faize, listen. Your people haven't been destroyed. As luck would have it, Commander Gaghan returned to Eldar and ordered an evacuation."

"What?" Faize said, looking up at me. "Commander Gaghan is...alive?"

"I won't tell you not to grieve for your lost home and comrades. But don't give up. As long as those Eldarians are still out there, there are things you have to do."

"What are you going to do now, Crowe?" Edge asked me. I replied, "Get rid of the Grigori on this planet, of course, and protect the Eldarian refugee ships."

"What?" Faize said. "My Eldarian brethren are here?"

"Yeah," I said. "They're with the Aquila, orbiting Aeos-"

Just then, I received a transmission from the Aquila.

"What?...Understood. I'll be there as soon as I can. And tell them to get out of there as fast as possible! Got it?"

_This can't be happening..._

"I screwed up," I muttered to myself. "Too careless..."

"Did something happen?"

I said to Edge, "That was from the Aquila. Apparently, the refugee fleet is under attack by Phantom ships. I'm going back up there to take command. I have to ensure their safety first before we can think about the Grigori."

"Roger that, Crowe," Edge replied. "You protect the Eldarians. We'll get rid of the Grigori."

"Edge...?"

"The Eldarians must be protected, but we can't just leave the Grigori here."

_You sure about this, Edge?_ "You know there's no turning back," I told him.

"I know," he replied. "I'm prepared."

_I'm glad...to know that you still believe in me...maybe now, I can make things right._

"All right, I'll leave it to you." I turned to Arumat, and said, "Arumat, you go with Edge. You know where the Grigori is too, right?"

"If that is your decision," Arumat replied, "I have no objections."

Edge turned to me and said, "I guess this is goodbye again..."

I replied to him, "Aw, come on. We have the same objective. We'll meet each other soon enough."

I placed my hand on his shoulder and said, "If you believe in me as much as you say you do, go to En II. Find out how to save the galaxy."

As I started to head back, Myuria called to me, "Hold it."

I walked toward her, still feeling regret over not being able to save the man she loved.

"You're going to help those people?" she asked.

"Yeah...I am. So I'm afraid I can't let you kill me yet."

"!"

"It's a fact I was not able to save your husband. You have the right to do whatever you want with me...But for now...I need you to wait...please." I bowed my head, solemnly.

"...You really are a fool."

"Huh?"

"Jumping into the jaws of death for people you don't even know? Come now, only a fool would do such a thing," she said, smiling at me.

"Myuria..."

She turned to Edge and said, "Look like you win, boy."

Edge replied, "It had nothing to do with winning or losing. I just believed in my friend."

_Thank you, Edge._

Myuria looked at me and said, "Leave the boy and his friends to me. I'll take care of them for you. This is my...and Lucien's...thanks to you."

_Myuria..._

"Thank you."

As I ran off, I noticed Faize was a few steps behind me. All I heard was that he really wanted to make sure his brethren would be safe. Arumat gave Faize the controls to the Sol, and, after bidding his friends farewell and promising them they would meet again on En II, he followed me back to the Aquila.

However, I found myself letting the young Eldarian down.

...

It was a fierce battle. The Eldarian ships were flanked by Phantom warships.

"SOS from Eldarian vessel 18! They're hit! Engines out!"

"Vessel 7's been destroyed! Damn it...they've already signaled surrender...!"

"Damn!" I shouted as I banged on the dashboard. "How many of the Eldarians have gotten away?"

"Just three ships...less than twenty percent of the fleet, sir."

"Captain! Another SOS from ship 18! ...No...it's gone."

"No..." I overheard Faize say. "My brethren...right in front of my eyes...even though...I'm so close..."

_Faize... I can't let him down now._

"How many ships are going to survive this...? No, this isn't the time for worrying. Our mission now is to get as many of these ships to safety as we can."

Standing up, I ordered, "Aquila, full power to shields! Bring up the rear of the Eldarian formation and act as their barrier! Once in position, open fire! We'll cover the Eldarian escape with a full-scale volley!"

But before we could do anything, the Aquila was hit.

"Report!"

"Our engine's hit! The Aquila's lost propulsion, sir!"

"What?"

"The enemy's ignoring us! They're making a full assault on the refugees!"

I glanced at the radar projection, and what I saw appalled me.

"Vessels 5, 37, 40 down! This is...they're slaughtering them! !"

_Why am I so powerless? !_ _Faize...I'm sorry...I let you down..._

I overheard Faize mutter, "They're going to die...they're all going to **die**..."

"Damn it!" I shouted. "Get those engines repaired now! Faize!" I looked back, but he wasn't there.

"Faize?"

"Captain! One of the airlocks is opening!"

_Faize...? !_ "He wouldn't...Quickly! Hail the Sol!"

I saw Faize over the transmission, the expression on his face serious. He was that dead-set on trying to protect his brethren.

"Faize! Come back!" I shouted to him.

"I can't stand this anymore," he said. "Watching my brethren die meaningless deaths is too painful..." And at that the transmission ended.

"Faize! !"

* * *

_Before I knew it, I was assaulted fiercely. My entire crew perished, and my ship was badly damaged. Even I had sustained several injuries myself. _

_I ran into Edge and his crew again, during the assault on Nox Obscurus._

_

* * *

_

I hailed the Calnus. "Yo...Sorry I'm late...Edge."

"Crowe! Are you okay!"

"You're hurt!" Reimi stood up. "What...happened to you?"

Bacchus said to me, "I see you have faced a rough battle, Mr. Crowe."

I sighed. "So many Eldarians...died...right before my eyes...it was all...all because of my pathetic performance."

_I failed...yet again..._

"...Don't beat yourself up," Myuria consoled me. "You've done more than anyone could've asked. Everyone knows it. Even I know how much you've done, so...So really, take it easy. You don't have to blame yourself."

Simply hearing those words from her made me feel at ease. "Thank you...Myuria."

Edge said, "In any case, I'm glad you're here, Crowe. I'm really glad we get to work together again. We're in a tight squeeze here, so if you could help us out..."

_Edge..._ "Of course," I reassured him. "That's why I'm here."

"Excellent," Edge said, already starting to have hope. "With you and Faize here, we..."

"Faize...that's right, Faize!"

It was Lymle Lemuri Phi, a Lemurisian and one of Edge's comrades. Faize told me all about her. She walked up to the front, and said to me, "His chair belongs to Mattie now. There's nothing left but the floor, 'kay? Of course, I guess I could let him have half of my seat if I have to..."

_The poor girl...so innocent...why do I have to be breaking the bad news to her, of all people?_

"I'm sorry..." I bowed my head in regret. "I am so...sorry..."

I heard her gasp silently, and already I could feel the pain.

"Crowe..." Edge said. "What are you apologizing for?"

"I...couldn't stop him. He left my ship saying he had to save his brethren...There was nothing I could do...nothing at all."

_I'm so pathetic..._

"What...what happened to him?"

"He watched the Eldarian ships getting shot down by the Phantoms, one after another...and then he got on his Sol and took off by himself." I paused, trying to hold back my remorse. "He's probably..."

And then it happened. Edge and his crew were struck by grief. It was just heartbreaking to hear.

Edge then told me about his situation, and said, "So that's how it is, Crowe...cover us, will you?"

I said to him, "Rushing into danger without much thought...that's just like you, Edge. But this isn't really the time or the place for that, is it?"

"But there's no other way!"

"I have a plan. Come on, do you think I'd have ended up in this shape otherwise?"

"A plan...You have some way of getting rid of that thing?"

"Yeah," I replied, "I do...so you just sit there and leave this to me."

...

"Crowe! What are you thinking? !"

"Listen, Edge. You and I both know there's no way we'll get through that thing fair and square. So we're gonna have to cheat a little."

I looked at Edge. _This is probably...the last time I'm gonna see you, Edge..._

"The last, and most important job this bucket of bolts will ever have... I'm gonna use the Aquila as an anchor - fire up the engines and reverse the graviton flow. It'll rip a black hole right in the middle of that thing. Poor bastard won't know what hit it...it'll get sucked right into itself."

I could tell Edge didn't approve of that idea. "You...idiot! If you do that-"

"Idiot?" I retorted. "Whatever happened to respect for your elders, huh?" I chuckled to myself, trying to hold back the tears I wanted to shed. No matter what, I didn't want Edge to see me in a more pathetic state than what I was in...

"This is no time for stupid jokes, Crowe. Wait there! We'll catch up to you!"

I immediately shouted to Edge, "Don't!"

_I'm so sorry, Edge...but this is the only way I can set things right again..._

"If you're my friend, be quiet and see me off."

"Crowe...!"

"I have a debt to repay...to the people who came with me because they believed in me. So let me go...please. Best friends, huh?"

I could tell Edge didn't want this as much as I didn't want it. "Fine. Just...do whatever you want...!"

I ended the transmission. "Thank you, Edge."

This was it. There was no turning back now. I set the Aquila on autopilot, toward Nox Obscurus. As the light shone brightly through the windows and the sparks rained all around me, I said to myself, "I'm leaving the universe to you...I know you won't let me down..."

I looked around and saw the crew seats, empty. "Hwang...Ohta...Joe...Eddie...Hiro...Faize...Everyone..."

I reached for the throttle, and said, "See ya...on the other side...of the star ocean..." and then I thrust the switch.

As the Aquila rushed toward Nox Obscurus at breakneck speed, I saw my life flashing before my eyes...and then... I remembered something...a promise I made...

* * *

It was at the Departure Ceremony. I remember I saw Reimi sitting down in the audience, looking upset.

"Reimi?"

"Edge, do you have any - -" And then she saw it was me. "...Crowe?"

"What's wrong, Reimi?" I asked her.

"That stupid Edge...knowing him, he's probably in the Battle Simulator, skipping this ceremony! Doesn't he see how important this is?"

"Well, you know Edge. And...I guess I know him a little too well..."

"What do you mean, Crowe?"

"Knowing him, he's probably a bit...jealous of my achievements. He probably thinks I'm gloating or something. But really, what is the rank of captain other than just a title?"

"I...see what you mean, Crowe. And...I always liked that about you."

I smiled. "Thanks, Reimi."

"Hey...Crowe?"

"Yeah?"

"Once this is over, I would really like us to look at the stars together...you, Edge, and myself."

"Reimi ? !"

"It's been so long since all three of us could be together...and what better time than after our mission is accomplished?"

"Reimi..."

"Promise, Crowe?"

"...Promise."

* * *

_I'm such a hypocrite,_ I thought. _I couldn't even keep that promise... Edge...Reimi...what I wouldn't give...to see you two one last time..._

Time seemed to slow down around me, as tears began to stream down my face.

All of a sudden, I heard a young boy's voice say to me, "Crowe..."

"Who's there? ! How do you know my name? !"

"Don't cry," the voice said.

"Huh?"

"You can't die yet...there are still so many things you have to do...you have a greater purpose than you can possibly imagine."

I felt myself enveloped by a great light, and I lost consciousness.

* * *

_Yes...in spite of all my shortcomings, I believe it is not too late for me to make amends._

_My name is Crowe F. Almedio._

_This is my story._

_

* * *

_

**A/N: -sniff- Oh Crowe, ILU so. -heart- Feel free to R&R. Constructive criticism is welcome. And I probably won't post the next chapter until after my final Calc II exam which is -ugh- cumulative...**


	2. Separation

**A/N: Okay, I suppose it's the right time to give the "insight" I promised in the prologue. If you've gotten Crowe's ending, he ends up on Roak, near Eleyna Farrence's house. It's pretty much implied that he marries her, and is thus the ancestor of Roddick Farrence (hero of SO1). And if you see some certain PAs with Meracle, you learn that her favorite story, "Eleyna and the Feline Gourmand" eventually heads into the chapter of "Lady Eleyna's romance" which involves Eleyna and a "traveler", in which case the "traveler" is alluding to Crowe. And, after reading a whole bunch of theories at the GameFAQs boards, I decided to write this story. How would Crowe feel, knowing that his two closest friends, Edge and Reimi, did not know he was alive? He would surely want to see them one last time. I uh...don't want to go -too- much into detail here. I'll be explaining more and more as I go along.**

**Pairing: Okay, the cat's out of the bag (and I don't mean Meracle xD)...main pairing is Crowe x Eleyna. May have some hintage of Edge x Reimi later, as the focus may shift every now and then.**

**Warnings: Spoilers as usual. Also, some partial nudity, which is really not explicit. (Would this warrant for an M rating? Let me know and I'll change accordingly. I -tried- to make it as PG-13 as possible though...)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own SO.**

**Notes: Sorry, this chapter and all the other chapters will be 3rd-person. Although I must admit, it was interesting writing from Crowe's POV. And uh...I -slightly- modified the script to Crowe's ending here.**

**-NEW EDIT- Srsly, I don't know WTH is going on with FFnet. First, the horizontal rulers disappear, and now two "!"s and or two "?"s do not show properly? What is this, I don't even. I just hope the other chapters don't have this problem. Put simply, I can't have two punctuations at the end of a sentence. So... I'll be fixing it by spacing between each double punctuation. It seems this is not a glitch; this is an implementation that is unlikely to change no matter how much we protest. If all else fails, see my versions of the chapters on my deivantART page.  
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_**What It Means to Make Amends**_

_**C h a p t e r 1**_

_**S e p a r a t i o n**_

Daylight. The sound of waves crashing upon the shore.

A young woman walked down the stairs from her house leading to the shore. She had sky-blue eyes; turquoise hair, bound up; clear, fair skin; and was wearing a dress that was white at the top, and the rest was green. She was also wearing brown boots. Most interesting about her though, was that she had pointed ears covered in fur, and a fluffy tail extending from her posterior.

"I see...exactly as the auguries told me. This is indeed very interesting..."

She walked over to Crowe, lying unconscious on the shores.

"...may very well suit me..."

_Uhhh...where am I? Who's there?_

Crowe could feel a hand tapping his face. "Wake up, you...or would you have a dainty lady carry you on her back...?" the woman said. Crowe opened his eyes...and saw a perfect, clear-blue sky. "Wha...what happened?" he murmured, before he felt the hand tap his face again. He sat up...and saw her.

"What the...?"

"...quite a handsome man..."

As she continued to speak to him, he looked down and saw that his translator was broken. And yet, he could understand her perfectly.

He looked all around him. It was all...beautiful. Even the woman who spoke to him was a sight to behold.

"I'm sorry, but...where am I? ... Who are you?...Is this...heaven?"

"Heaven?" The woman chuckled. "No. This is Roak. And I am Eleyna Farrence, the woman who will be..."

As she continued to speak, Crowe thought to himself, _Wait a second...Roak? No wonder she didn't look quite fully human. And judging by my surroundings, this planet doesn't look quite developed...I have a feeling that I'd better be careful not to use any of my technology._

Slowly standing up, Crowe brushed the sand off of himself and said to Eleyna calmly, "Listen. I think it's really nice how this is love at first sight and all, and don't get me wrong. I think you're really beautiful, and you seem like a nice person. But I really don't understand how you could be talking about such long-term commitments right now. I mean, we've only just-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Crowe could feel his heart palpitate in his chest, and he somehow began to feel exhausted.

_What the heck was that just now? !_

"You okay?" Eleyna asked the young man.

"...I'm fine," Crowe replied. "Just a little dizzy, that's all. Guess I stood up too fast."

"You look tired," Eleyna said to Crowe. "Why don't you get some rest?"

"Good idea. I'll be there shortly," Crowe said to her as she walked back to her house. He thought to himself as he followed her, _I wonder how Edge and Reimi are...are they back on Earth? I wonder if the SRF is looking for me right now. Do they even know I'm alive?_

He checked his pockets, and noticed he still had his communicator. _Good...I still have my communicator. Maybe sometime later, I could..._

It happened again. His heart beat with more force this time.

_N...not again! What's...happening to me? !_

He managed to grab onto some rocks to stop himself from falling.

"What's wrong?" Eleyna quickly rushed to Crowe's side.

Clutching for dear life onto the stones, Crowe was breathing heavily as his heart continued to throb more and more intensely. He could feel the strength draining out of his body.

_Why won't it stop? ! I feel so...weak..._

Just as Crowe thought he would black out, everything suddenly became...brighter in his eyes. He could not hear Eleyna talking to him, asking what was wrong. He looked into the horizon...and could not believe his eyes.

"Edge...? Reimi...?"

_Great. Now I'm hallucinating._

Eleyna murmured to herself, "Did he say...? He knows them...?"

In his eyes, Crowe saw Edge and Reimi looking at him.

_They...they saw me! This...cannot be a hallucination._

"What's...going on?" Eleyna murmured to herself. She knew Crowe was hallucinating, and she had a feeling something bad was going to happen.

Letting go of the rocks, Crowe limped forward, seeing Edge and Reimi walk ahead of him when in truth, there was no one there. Reaching out his hand, he said, "Edge...Reimi...hey...where are you guys...going? Wait...for...me..."

Before he could take another step, Crowe collapsed to the ground from the intense exhaustion. Eleyna quickly began to rush to his side to catch him, but then...

"Got him!"

It was Sarah Jerand, one of Eleyna's acquaintances - and one of Edge's former comrades. She managed to catch Crowe just as he was about to hit the ground.

"Sarah...What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hello, Lady Eleyna. You see, just recently, I learned how to fly. And as I flew around this area, I saw this man...you see, he's one of Edge's friends."

"I see..." Eleyna said to herself.

Sarah brushed the back of her hand on Crowe's forehead. "Oh, my..."

"Sarah?"

"He's burning up!"

Eleyna walked over to Crowe and touched his forehead. "You're right...this is a really nasty fever...we need to help him."

Eleyna and Sarah lifted Crowe up by his shoulders and carried him to Eleyna's house. Once Eleyna reached her house, she knocked on the door. "Hey! Alleycat! You there?"

Meracle Chamlotte, another one of Edge's former comrades who was living with Eleyna, opened the door. "Eleyna! You know how calling me that makes me-" And then she saw Crowe.

"Oh my gosh...I know him, meow!"

"Hmm?"

"His name is Crowe! I...met him once!"

"Crowe...huh," Eleyna murmured to herself. "Make yourself useful, alleycat, and give us a hand. Go get a bucket full of cold water and a towel...and a glass of water, just in case."

"Alright..." Meracle rushed into the kitchen as Eleyna and Sarah carried Crowe into the household and gently laid him onto the bed.

Eleyna looked at Crowe. He was breathing heavily and his fever didn't seem to be going away.

"Sarah," Eleyna said to Sarah. "Could you...help me remove this man's armor?"

"S...sure," Sarah replied.

Simply by looking at him, Eleyna could tell that Crowe was wearing a complex suit of armor that would be a bit difficult to divest. "Let's start with the top."

After unhooking various straps on the top part of his armor, his upper armor came off, revealing a black leather shirt that he wore. _Such peculiar garments,_ Eleyna thought.

"Now the lower area..."

The lower area of the armor proved to be more difficult to remove than the upper area. "Hold on," Sarah said, pointing to something on the back of the lower armor. "What's this?"

As it turned out, his laser swords were hooked onto somewhere on the back of his lower armor. There was also his communicator, protruding from somewhere in his lower armor.

As Sarah and Eleyna removed the foreign technology from the lower half of the armor suit, Crowe was beginning to fade in and out of consciousness. "Hey..." he murmured. "Be...careful with...those..."

_Just hang on, Crowe, _Eleyna thought to herself. _Please..._

Meracle walked up to Eleyna, holding a bucket of ice-cold water and a small towel. "Here, Lady Eleyna," she said, placing the bucket and towel on the drawer close to the bed. "I'll get a glass of water..." And at that, Meracle rushed back into the kitchen.

Eleyna and Sarah successfully removed the lower half of Crowe's armor. Underneath, he wore a pair of black leather pants and shoes.

"Good," Eleyna said to herself. "This ought to keep his fever from escalating." Grabbing the small towel Meracle handed her, she dipped the towel into the bucket of water and, after squeezing the excess water out, placed the wet towel on Crowe's forehead. She then opened the window close to the bed, to let some fresh air in. Within a matter of seconds, however, Crowe began to moan in pain. "Aaah...Aaaaaaaaah..."

Eleyna placed her hand on Crowe's forehead again, and noticed that his fever was indeed starting to intensify. "How can this **be? !**"

Meracle walked up to Eleyna, holding a glass of water, and, placing the glass on the adjacent drawer, asked Eleyna, "What's going on?"

Eleyna turned to Meracle and Sarah, and said, "His fever's getting worse. We'll have to strip him."

Meracle and Sarah blushed at that thought. "Relax, you two," Eleyna said, in an attempt to reassure them. "We'll only strip him down to his trousers."

Taking off his shirt proved to be somewhat tough for Meracle and Sarah, as they were already blushing simply looking at Crowe's bare chest while they pulled off his shirt. As Crowe lay in bed, wearing only his pants, Eleyna said to Sarah and Meracle, "Thanks, you two. I'll take it from here. Why don't you two wait upstairs?"

"Huh?" Meracle and Sarah were not only flabbergasted that Eleyna thanked them, but were also curious as to what Eleyna was planning. "What are you...?" Sarah asked.

"Trust me," Eleyna replied. "I'll call you back down when I'm done."

After making sure that Meracle and Sarah were in the upstairs room, Eleyna began to take off her boots, and then her dress. "I can't believe I'm doing this," Eleyna murmured to herself as her dress dropped to her feet. "Already I am lying with the man I intend to marry, before that day even comes...what kind of 'Holy Maiden' am I...? I feel like a common harlot."

She climbed into bed, and, laying on top of Crowe, pulled the sheets over herself. _Remember,_ she thought to herself, _this is only to reduce his fever._ Thinking that helped her to calm down, as feeling Crowe's chest rise and fall with each strained breath he took made her nervous.

As Eleyna dabbed Crowe's face with the wet towel, she heard him murmur, "It's so...hot...need...water..."

Eleyna immediately realized that there was only one way to quench his thirst...she had to feed him by mouth. _Oh god..._ Eleyna thought. _This is almost like...no. I have to do this._ Reaching for the glass of water Meracle placed on the adjacent drawer earlier, Eleyna took a mouthful of water and, leaning over to Crowe, pressed her lips to his and gave him the water.

As their lips touched, Eleyna felt a strange sensation. It was like a burst of electricity traveled through her body as her lips brushed against his. She could feel her heart beat faster. _This...feeling..._ she thought. _What...is this? ...No, I must not be tempted. I must remain faithful to what I'm doing._

She broke the contact between her lips and his, and rested her head on his shoulder. She heard him swallow, and could feel his body slowly cooling down. _Good. He should be fine now._

Eventually, Crowe started breathing normally, and, his body having cooled down entirely, he dozed off to sleep. _Might as well let him rest,_ Eleyna thought. Getting up so carefully as not to wake the young man, she closed the window and took the moist towel off of his forehead. After climbing out of bed, she put her dress and boots back on quietly, and walked upstairs. As she walked up, she glanced over at the young man sleeping, and thought, _This man has the blood of the Muah, too? Hmm...Just like those two striplings I met so long ago...what could this all mean?_

Sarah asked Eleyna, "What's wrong? You said you would call us back down."

"He's sleeping. Wouldn't want to disturb him," Eleyna replied. "Even so..."

"Huh?" Meracle was curious.

"That...man," Eleyna pondered. "He said he knew those two descendants of the Muah...Edge and Reimi. Those were their names, correct?"

"Yeah," Meracle replied. She sighed to herself, "I miss them..."

"You see, Lady Eleyna," Sarah said, "there was a great battle two years ago. A battle in the great star ocean..."

"Yeah," Meracle added. "That man, Crowe... he disappeared in the heat of battle, trying to help us save the universe."

"And he shows up now, two years after?" Eleyna could not grasp what this all meant. "This cannot be mere coincidence...I'll go down to check on him. I'll call you down pretty soon."

She headed back downstairs and, kneeling by the bed, looked at Crowe. _The auguries I had...also told me that this man would hold the key to Roak's safety in the future, _she thought. _And...sadly...he will have to deal with a chain of tragedies..._

As Eleyna stood up and walked around, she could hear Crowe coming to. "Uhn..." He opened his eyes and looked all around him. "...Huh? What...am I doing here?"

"Glad to see you're back," Eleyna said to Crowe, smiling.

"Eleyna...?" He sat up and looked down...and saw that he was wearing nothing except his trousers. "Wait a second...I'm not - I'm..." and then he looked at Eleyna and said, "You didn't try to..."

Eleyna knew where the conversation was headed, and she immediately slapped Crowe across the face. Meracle and Sarah could hear it upstairs.

Placing his hand to his sore cheek, Crowe retorted, "Hey! What was that for?"

Eleyna was not pleased. "I never expected that the man I wanted to marry one day would be such a salacious libertine. I only did what I could to reduce your fever."

"I...?"

"Yes," Eleyna replied. "You were out cold...I couldn't just sit there and let it get worse."

"I see..." Crowe paused for a moment, and said, "In any case, thank you. You...saved me."

Pulling over a chair, Eleyna sat by the bed and said to Crowe, "I couldn't help but notice...you were murmuring 'Edge...Reimi...' a while ago..."

Crowe's gaze widened. "You...know them?"

"Yes," Eleyna replied. "I met them two years ago. They had come from the vast star ocean, just like you."

"Hold on...two years?" To Crowe, it seemed like only yesterday he had seen Edge and his crew.

"Hmm...I see this could be difficult to explain," Eleyna said. "Sarah, Alleycat, you two can come down now."

Sarah and Meracle walked downstairs and saw Crowe, sitting up. He looked at them, and said, "Hey, you two...you seem...different somehow, both of you...?"

"I'm Sarah," Sarah said. Glancing at Meracle, she said, "That's Meracle."

"Nice to meet you both."

"Crowe!" Meracle ran over to Crowe and hugged him. "You don't look like you've aged a day-" and then she noticed that Crowe was still shirtless. "Meoooooow...I'm sorry, meow!" Meracle cried, turning away and blushing.

"Heh..." Crowe looked at Eleyna. "Ugh...I'm all dirty. Do you mind if I take a shower?"

"Go ahead," Eleyna said. "Alleycat, do you think you could wash this man's clothes?"

"S-sure," Meracle stammered. She looked away as Crowe climbed out of bed, as seeing his bare chest was enough to make her blush.

Sarah noticed that Crowe had a couple of bruises on his back. "You're hurt," she said. "Let me take care of those injuries of yours."

"Go ahead."

Chanting a symbol, Sarah's hands started to glow. She placed her hands on Crowe's injuries, and the bruises started to fade. This time around, Crowe started to blush as Sarah touched his bare back.

"Who's blushing now?" Eleyna said in a somewhat smug manner.

"...Hey!" Crowe seemed upset at first, but then started to laugh in a subtle manner, and smiled at her.

Eleyna was amazed. _He's certainly nothing like his friend Edge...He's much more peaceful and mature, and I can tell by looking at him, that a pure heart beats inside of him..._ She looked down, troubled. _But beneath that kind smile...is a suffering soul...if only I could break the chains of suffering that bind this man..._ Eleyna quickly shook her head. _What's coming over me?... Am I feeling...compassion?_

Eleyna sighed. "Somehow...I think Sarah's attitude is starting to rub off on me."

...

"Okay, the shower's ready, meow!"

Crowe walked into the bathroom and began to take off his hair clip, letting down his shoulder-length crimson hair. Meracle said to him, "I'll wash your clothes..."

"Thanks." Looking away, Crowe said, "Why don't I just...leave my pants outside the door?"

"O-okay," Meracle said shyly as she walked out of the bathroom. Within a matter of seconds, the rest of Crowe's garments were tossed out of the bathroom. "M...must not...look, meow!" Meracle staggered toward the heap of clothing, looking away from the shower room, and, closing the door in such a way that a little air could come in, picked up the clothing and ran off.

"Heh..."

As the water from the shower gently caressed his bare skin, Crowe was lost in thought. _Two years...?_ he wondered. _Granted, I guess I'm glad that I'm alive, but how could I have been sent here two years into the future...? I should have died that day._

Just then, Crowe remembered what happened that day before he lost consciousness.

_**You can't die yet...**_

_**There are still so many things...you have to do...**_

_What...could that mean?_ he thought to himself.

Turning off the flow of water, Crowe stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist.

"Crowe!" Meracle walked into the bathroom. "Here are your clothes-" and then she noticed he only had a towel on. Getting way too excited, Meracle transformed into her cat form and ran off.

"Huh?"

After putting all of his clothes back on and binding his hair back up, he walked out of the bathroom. "Hey! Meracle!" He sighed. "Where could she be hiding?"

After walking only a little bit, he saw a small gray kitten with a green jewel on its collar. He knew the kitten was her. "Meracle!"

Realizing she'd been caught, Meracle transformed back into her normal self, in a puff of smoke. "What's the big idea, Crowe!"

"Heh heh..."

...

Sitting back down on the bed, Crowe said, "Okay, Meracle, Sarah. Could you two...tell me what happened after...you know?"

Sarah began to explain everything. "After you made that black hole appear, we were able to enter Nox Obscurus. After journeying a great deal, we ran into a being called the 'Apostle of Creation'."

Meracle continued. "As it turns out..." She paused, as simply recalling those memories brought her much pain.

"As it turns out...what?"

Taking a deep breath, Meracle said, "The Apostle of Creation...was actually Faize."

Crowe's eyes widened in shock. _No way..._

"He said that he was powerless to prevent the deaths of his brethren...so he became possessed by the Grigori and wished to wipe out the universe entirely...so that there would be no more pain...no more sadness...no more senseless loss of lives, as he said."

Crowe looked down. _Faize...if only I were stronger, this wouldn't have happened..._

"Of course, we couldn't just sit there and let him carry out his plan, so...we defeated him..." Meracle looked like she was about to cry.

Sarah picked it up from there. "When Faize returned to his old self, Nox Obscurus began to collapse. Edge insisted on taking Faize along as we escaped, but...they both fell into the abyss."

Crowe gasped. "Edge is...?"

"Don't worry," Sarah said. "Edge is just fine. After escaping from Nox Obscurus, we were transported to Earth, and we ran into Edge again." She paused. "Of course, Faize is a...different story..."

Crowe was already starting to tremble. "How could I...let this happen?"

"Don't take it that way," Meracle consoled him. "There was no way to have known what could have happened. After Edge returned, we all headed back to our respective worlds...and now you're here. We honestly thought you were dead!"

"I appreciate your concern," Crowe said, having calmed down. "Hey, Meracle..."

"Yeah?"

"You said you went to Earth...what was it like?"

"It was beautiful! The air was clean, the sky was blue...Why do you ask?"

Crowe sighed. "You see...I come from Earth, just like Edge and Reimi. The thing is...Earth wasn't always as beautiful as you say it is."

"Hmm?" Both Meracle and Sarah were curious.

"When I started the SRF's mission of exploration with Edge and Reimi...Earth was in a pitiful state. You see, a massive war had just happened...citizens of Earth were fighting against themselves...and as a result, not only were innocent lives lost, but the Earth was essentially reduced to ashes." Crowe paused for a second, and continued, "My mission was to find a new world for my people...hopefully, a world without any wars...since war only breeds sadness, and that is something I did not want to see for as long as possible. But you saw what happened...even I couldn't prevent that which I had sought to."

"I see...so that's how it is..." As it turned out, Eleyna overheard the entire conversation.

"Eleyna..." Sarah said. "How long have...?"

"Well, well, will you look at the time," Eleyna said, trying to divert the conversation. "I think it's time we had dinner."

As they all sat down, Eleyna and Sarah ate comfortably, and Meracle devoured all the items on her plate. Crowe, however, barely even touched his meal.

"Something the matter?" Eleyna asked him.

"I...I'm not that hungry, thank you."

Eleyna could tell that something was bothering Crowe. _What could be troubling him?_

...

It was nighttime already. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Crowe looked out the window, into the night sky brilliantly illuminated by twinking stars. As he looked out the window, he thought, _I wonder if one of those stars in the sky is Earth... It's a shame I couldn't see Earth in the way it is now, if what Meracle and Sarah say is true. How ironic...Earth was restored, and yet..._

He then thought about Edge and Reimi. _Wonder how they're doing...they must still think I'm..._

"Crowe?"

Crowe turned around and saw Eleyna walking toward him.

"Oh...Eleyna. What's up?"

"I overheard your conversation with Meracle and Sarah. You know...those friends of yours, Edge and Reimi...they also came here in search of a new world for themselves. What brings you here?"

Looking at her, Crowe told Eleyna all that happened before he arrived on Roak.

"You see...I guess my being here is some sort of accident. It's as Meracle and Sarah said. I vanished trying to help Edge and his crew ensure the universe's safety. But before the incident, something happened..."

"Yes?"

"I heard a voice...saying to me...that I still had some very important things to do...that I had a greater purpose...then I passed out, and here I am."

"I see..." Placing her hand on Crowe's shoulder, she said, "Your appearance here on Roak is no incident, I can assure you that. I know that you will find your true purpose one day."

Crowe smiled at her. "Thanks...Eleyna." He yawned. "Hmm...I guess I should turn in for today." He looked at Eleyna, and said, "Good night, Eleyna."

"Good night, Crowe."

...

Later on, Eleyna was about to call it a day herself. She noticed that Crowe was sleeping peacefully. As she knelt by his bed, she noticed a tear streaming down his cheek.

"Edge...Reimi..."

_Poor thing,_ Eleyna thought. _To be separated from his friends like that... I can tell he shared a deep bond with those people._ She held his hand, and gently kissed him on the forehead.

"Pleasant dreams to you..."

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**A/N: -mega nosebleed- I did NOT intend to have that many Crowe fanservice moments! -blushes- Well, it can't be helped. He's hawt. xD Again, if anyone thinks this fic should be bumped up to a M rating (due to the nudity, which again, is not explicit...I don't think) let me know. **

**And oh god...I'm just happy to be free from Calculus II. That final exam was a little tricky, but I feel like I did a good job. I just hope I passed XD And I have 2 weeks of break, so I should be able to squeeze a few more chapters in. **

**And hopefully, if I do get a passing grade on Calc II, my parents just -might- let me get an Xbox 360 and SO4, which means more accuracy to the storyline...and no more referring to Youtube xD**


	3. Purpose

**A/N: Nothing much to say this time...except that the story will pretty much be following the concept of Meracle's favorite story, "Eleyna and the Feline Gourmand", on the chapter of "Lady Eleyna's romance". Except it'll be a bit sadder...and darker...maybe. Because you see, what fun is it if Crowe just marries Eleyna when he barely knows her? 8D And if you've played SO1 (either the SNES version or First Departure) you will notice there is a weapon you obtain later in the game called the "Force Swords" which, if you cannot tell, are Crowe's laser swords. And well...I just want to illustrate the events that lead to the first Demonic Wars, before Roddick and co. travel back in time to save the future of Roak, and the events where Eleyna becomes closer to Crowe and maybe even undergoes some changes herself. -cough and I'm miffed that there's no option for Eleyna as one of the characters cough- And yes, Crowe did sleep in his normal clothes 8D**

**AND I passed my Calc II course with an A-! But still no Xbox 360 or SO4 because my parents...-ahem- cannot afford it right now -.- ...-sigh- I guess that means more referring to YT in the future...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean.**

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_**What It Means to Make Amends**_

_**C h a p t e r 2**_

_**P u r p o s e**_

Morning came. The sunlight shone softly through the windows.

Crowe opened his eyes. _Is it morning already...?_ He sat up and looked out the window.

_I was sort of hoping this was all a dream...that when I awoke, you two would be by my side again...Edge...Reimi. But...I know that I am here for a reason._

Getting up quietly, Crowe walked out the door and headed to the shores.

The sky at sunrise was such a beautiful sight. The sky was dyed soft hues of pink, yellow, and orange, that blended as the sun rose over the horizon. The thin clouds floating in the air also gave the sunrise an ethereal feel. The gorgeous display signaled the dawn of something - a new day, another chance at life... But for Crowe, this sort of sunrise brought back memories both good and bad. He remembered the sky looked this exact same way when he arrived at Aeos two years ago, as endless tragedies unfolded one after another. As he glanced at the sky, all the sorrowful events that occured that day echoed in his mind.

_**Lucien...Lucien...!**_

_**Damn it! ! What the hell are the Grigori! Why would they...why would they do something like that? !**_

_**That's a lie...it has to be...it's all lies! You must be lying!**_

To Crowe, the sunrise that day heralded the dawn of catastrophe...of heartbreak. And yet, at the same time, there were some memories he held dear...such as the days when he, Edge and Reimi were young...they would look at the sunrise together from time to time when the Earth was still in ruins. Seeing the sun rise over the debris-covered horizon gave them hope...that one day, Earth would be restored to its former glory. And now, that day had already come...but Crowe could not see the sun rise back on Earth with Edge and Reimi, as much as he had wanted to.

_I wish you two were here... so that we could see the sun rise together, just like we used to,_ he thought, as the wind blew in his hair.

"I see you're awake."

Crowe turned around...and saw Eleyna standing behind him.

"G...good morning, Eleyna," Crowe said, somewhat nervous.

"Good morning," Eleyna replied. "Is something wrong?"

Crowe sighed, and said to Eleyna, "Seeing the sunrise like this...brings back memories for me." Eleyna could sense the sincerity in his voice as he spoke. "Of course, not all of those memories are good ones..."

"I remember yesterday," Eleyna interjected, "that you said that your people were fighting a war amongst themselves?"

"Yeah," Crowe said, full of remorse. "It was terrible...and my goal was to help them make amends for their mistakes. But...sometimes I wonder if I even know what it really means to make amends. I mean, I feel like I only made things worse, as I was powerless to stop the chain of sadness like you heard about the other day. And..." He paused for a moment, and continued, "Those friends of mine...Edge and Reimi. When all this was over, I was hoping that I could return to my homeworld with them...but, as you see..."

"I see." Eleyna sat down on the shores, and Crowe did the same. "I also remember how you said that, before you came here, you heard a voice saying about how you had a greater purpose. Not too long before you came here, I had an augury...about you."

"An...augury?"

"Yes," Eleyna said. "The auguries told me that a man, descended of the Muah, would hold the key to Roak's salvation in the not-so-distant future." Looking into the horizon, she continued, "Because...Roak would soon be facing not one, but two wars."

"A war..." Crowe seemed saddened by that thought. "A war amongst themselves?"

"No," Eleyna replied, hoping that answer would make Crowe feel at ease. "The citizens of Roak will not be fighting with each other. Rather, they will be fighting against a powerful enemy whose resurrection will come ahead of its time...the feared Archfiend, Asmodeus."

_A man descended of the Muah...huh,_ Crowe thought to himself. _I remember learning about the Muah back at the Academy... how they were the first inhabitants of Earth, and were soon scattered all over the universe. She must believe I'm one of them._

Eleyna continued, "This man will arrive on Roak without warning, seeking to find his true purpose, and along the way, will fight many battles, deal with many hardships...and save all of Roak the moment the Archfiend awakens for the first time after many years. Unfortunately, after the momentary victory, he decides not to fight the war with the other Roakians, due to his beliefs. So he entrusts them with a certain...trump card that will help them win the war, if only for a while..."

"And what about the other war?"

"Good thing you asked," Eleyna said. "The second war comes later, when the Archfiend plots to destroy Roak. When that time comes, a small band of heroes will vanquish him once and for all."

"I see..." Crowe could barely comprehend what this all meant. "Will I...be able to see my friends again?"

"I cannot say," Eleyna said, looking at him. "The auguries did not tell me anything about that."

"I understand." Crowe seemed a bit distraught that he wouldn't be seeing Edge and Reimi anytime soon. In order to make him feel better, Eleyna said to him, "But don't lose faith. Someday, you just might see them again..."

Crowe seemed silent for a second, but then said, "Thanks...It's very reassuring to hear that."

"You're welcome."

Standing up, Crowe began to walk back toward Eleyna's house. Noticing that Eleyna wasn't following him, he called out to her, "Eleyna...you gonna head back?"

"I'm fine. I'll head back later," Eleyna said.

As Crowe continued to head back toward the house, Eleyna was watching him and thought, _But...I do not need any auguries to know that if and when that day comes...the day that you see your friends again...you will have to make a decision. What will you do then...Crowe?_ Eleyna glanced away, uncertain.

As Crowe opened the door and walked back into the house, he heard...something. A melody of some sort. "Where's that music coming from? It's...beautiful..." he thought out loud. He noticed the melody was coming from upstairs. He headed up the stairs and saw Meracle, playing some sort of instrument.

"Meracle?"

Meracle stopped playing the tune and turned around. "Oh...hey, Crowe."

Crowe said to Meracle, "I heard you playing a song with your...what is that instrument called?" He glanced at the oval-shaped flute-like instrument Meracle held in her hands.

"It's called an Ocarina," Meracle said.

"I see," Crowe said. "That music you played a while ago...was beautiful."

"Thanks..." Meracle said, her voice full of reluctance. "You probably wouldn't believe what I'm going to say, but..."

"Go on."

Meracle swallowed nervously, and said, "Edge and his friends...found me on Earth."

"Earth? !" Crowe was astonished.

"Or rather..." Meracle continued, "...an 'Alternate Earth' as Edge put it. I don't remember much about how I got there...except that I was put into an escape pod as the ship I was in was sucked in a black hole..." Meracle took a deep breath. "But...being on that alternate Earth was terrible...I was captured...and the people there did these experiments on me..."

"How terrible..."

"But," Meracle said, "there was one man...the Professor...who was really kind to me. I really enjoyed the time I had with him..." She sighed.

"Did...something happen?"

"When Edge and his friends came to take me back to Roak...there was an...accident. Something happened when Edge handed...that woman...his technology. The Earth started to collapse...and I had to escape...I ended up leaving the Professor behind." She looked down.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's okay," Meracle said, sounding a bit happier. "I'm sure the Professor wouldn't want me to be sad. And...everytime I play my ocarina, I hope to myself that I will see him again someday...because I just feel that he is alive, somewhere..."

"And maybe you will see him again someday," Crowe said, patting Meracle on her head. Glancing away for a moment, he thought, _I guess this means I should be really careful here...especially when it comes to the technology I have. Wouldn't want what happened to that "Alternate Earth" happen to Roak too._

"Hey...Crowe," Meracle said. "Want me to play a song for you?"

"Huh?" Crowe snapped out of his daydream. "S...sure, that'd be nice."

"Hmm...somehow, I think it's best if I played a song by the pier...wanna come with?"

"All right."

As they headed out of Eleyna's house toward the pier, Meracle noticed Sarah flying downward toward her.

"Look out! !"

"Eeyaah! !"

Sarah bumped into Meracle, and her glasses were knocked off of her face.

"Oh, my..."

"You two okay?" Crowe asked.

"Owww!" Meracle griped in pain. "Sarah, you klutz!"

"Oh...sorry, Meracle," Sarah said, eyes closed. "I guess I should work on my landing a bit more..." When she opened her eyes, her vision was blurry. "Oh dear...I can't see very well...where are my glasses?"

As Sarah looked at Meracle and then Crowe, Crowe could not help but be reminded of somebody close to him as he saw her eyes.

_Those eyes...just like..._

"Oh dear...I need my glasses..."

Crowe spotted something on the ground and, picking it up, noticed that it was Sarah's glasses. He examined them to make sure there weren't dirty or scratched. _Good. They're okay._

As Sarah got on her knees and tapped the pavement frantically with her hands, hoping to touch her glasses, she heard Crowe say to her, "Looking for this?" He then put her glasses back on.

She blinked...and saw Crowe looking at her, smiling. "Hope that's better."

"Oh..." Sarah said, flustered. "Thanks..." She noticed that Crowe was still looking at her. "Is there...something on my face?"

"N-no, it's nothing," Crowe stammered, standing up and looking away.

"Awkward..." Meracle murmured to herself quietly.

"So..." Sarah said curiously, "What are you two up to?"

Meracle replied, "Crowe asked me to play a song for him, but you're welcome to come along too, Sarah."

"Oh, sure!" Sarah said.

As they walked to the pier, Crowe said to Sarah, "Um...Sarah...?"

"Yes?" Sarah asked innocently.

"I'm...sorry if I came across the wrong way earlier, when I was looking at you. But..." He paused.

"But...what?"

_But...you remind me of someone I know,_ Crowe wanted to say, but he knew that if he said that now, he'd probably sound even more awkward. He looked at her, smiled, and said, "You look nice without your glasses."

"Thanks...I guess."

"Heh..."

When they finally arrived at the pier, Meracle said to Crowe and Sarah, "Okay, you guys ready?"

"Just...do your best," Crowe said reassuringly.

Meracle took a deep breath and, placing the ocarina's mouthpiece to her mouth, began to play a beautiful melody, just like the one Crowe heard earlier...except, this melody was somewhat different. It started out as peaceful, calm, and somewhat nostalgic, then became sad, then changed once again to a tune of...one could describe it as...hope. As he heard the melody, Crowe looked into the infinite sky, recalling his past...his family, his friends...Edge...Reimi...and everything that had happened up until the present time. He was greatly moved by Meracle's song, from start to finish.

"Well? What do you think?" Meracle asked eagerly.

"I liked it!" Sarah said happily, then proceeding to hum the tune to herself.

"That was beautiful," Crowe said calmly.

"I remember...two years ago, I played a similar song for Edge...and Lady Eleyna told me that eventually, my melodies would reach wherever I wanted them to go..." She turned to Crowe, and asked, "Do you think...our friends out there could be hearing this?...The Professor...even Edge and Reimi?"

The minute Crowe heard Meracle mention Edge and Reimi, he was overcome with...a certain feeling. He couldn't describe it himself, but it was a mixture of great happiness...and of hope. He felt tears come to his eyes.

"That...that would be nice," he said, turning away.

Meracle could hear Crowe's voice starting to crackle since he was about to cry. "You okay?"

"I'm fine...just...so happy."

"What do you think, Sarah?" Meracle asked Sarah. But Sarah didn't seem to hear Meracle since she was humming.

"Sarah!" Meracle shouted, trying to get Sarah's attention.

"Oh!" Sarah stopped humming. "What were you saying?"

"Argh!" Meracle cried, frustrated. "Forget it!"

"Heh..." Crowe muttered, his eyes still flooded with tears.

"Is something wrong, Crowe?" Sarah asked him, as she could hear his voice starting to break too. She walked over to him and saw that he was starting to cry quietly.

"Are you...crying?"

"Wh-Wha...? !" Crowe was surprised. "I-I'm fine..."

_Can't believe she saw me crying..._

"Oh my...I didn't know you were the sentimental type!" Sarah said, teasingly.

"Wha-I'm not...!" Crowe brushed his tears away, and started to laugh. "Ha ha..." Meracle and Sarah laughed with him.

"Oh my gosh! Lady Eleyna's probably worried about us! Come on, Crowe, let's head back," Meracle said, alarmed.

"Yeah..."

"What about you, Sarah?" Meracle asked Sarah.

"Oh...I'll just be taking a walk around town. See you two later."

"See ya, Sarah!" Meracle said.

"Later..." Crowe said, waving.

As Sarah and Meracle walked off, Crowe was a few steps behind them, walking at a slower pace. As he looked into the sky once more, he said to himself, "I hope you two are doing fine...Edge...Reimi."

* * *

Reimi Saionji was sitting down on her bed in her quarters on the new transportation ship, Calnus, looking out into the vast star ocean. Sighing, she grabbed a small portrait from the drawer close to her bed and looked at it. It was an old photo of herself, Edge, and Crowe when they were in the Academy. "Crowe..." she murmured to herself, somewhat solemn.

_It's been two years,_ Reimi thought to herself. _Two years since...that...happened..._ She sighed.

"Reimi?"

"Come in, Edge."

Edge walked into Reimi's quarters and sat down next to her. "What are you up to..." and then he saw the old photo Reimi was holding. "I see..."

"Hey, Edge?" Reimi asked him.

"Yeah?"

"Remember how, two years ago, I told you that once our mission was complete, that it would be nice if we could all see the stars together...you, Crowe, and myself?"

"Yes...?"

"I asked Crowe the same thing back at the departure ceremony...but...you know..." Reimi sighed.

"I know," Edge said in agreement. "I know how much he wanted to see all this through to the end. I wish he were with us now..."

"Yeah..." Reimi continued, "Do you believe...he's watching over us now, Edge?"

Edge seemed silent for a moment, but then said, "Yeah. I'm sure he wouldn't want us to be depressed..."

Reimi smiled. "Edge..." She stood up and said, "I'll meet you back on the Bridge."

"Okay."

Once Reimi left her quarters, Edge looked out the window and thought, _You wouldn't want us to be sad, would you...Crowe?_

* * *

As Meracle and Crowe entered Eleyna's house, they saw Eleyna standing by a table, eyes closed, glowing brightest white. "Aaaaah..."

Crowe could not believe what he saw. "What's...going on! ?"

"She's having an augury," Meracle answered him. "And...every time she has an augury like that, it drains her of her strength..."

"I...see."

The augury ended, and Eleyna stopped glowing. Overwhelmed by exhaustion, she collapsed to the ground.

"Eleyna! !" Crowe ran to her side and caught her as she was about to hit the ground.

"Nnnng..."

"Eleyna...you okay?"

Eleyna slowly opened her eyes and looked up...and saw Crowe, looking concerned. "Crowe...how fortuitous that you're here..."

Lifting Eleyna's arm and placing it around his shoulder, Crowe walked Eleyna over to the bed and gently sat her down. "Thanks..." she said softly.

"What did you see?" Meracle asked, kneeling by the bed.

Looking up, Eleyna said, "It has begun..."

"What do you mean? What has begun?" Crowe could not understand what she meant.

Lying down, Eleyna said weakly, "Two years ago...there was a cult called the 'Church of Sydonai' whose goal was to 'cleanse Roak', as they put it, by reviving the Archfiend, Asmodeus...what they would really have done was assured Roak's devastation..." She paused to catch her breath, and continued, "In order to revive the Archfiend, they needed a sacrifice...one of pure blood...to awaken Asmodeus. It just so happened that they chose Sarah as one of their...candidates. And...they had invited me to join their little cult, but I refused. After that, they tried to kill me...and that is when I met your friends, Crowe."

"Is that so..." Crowe murmured.

"Yes," she said, facing him. Looking back up at the ceiling, she continued, "Your friends...saved Sarah and defeated the leader of the cult. However...what I saw in my augury just now..."

"Yes?"

"It turns out...that the cult has risen again, with a new leader...and it seems that they are more determined than ever to set the day of Roak's demise in stone."

"...I see."

Slowly sitting up, Eleyna said, "Is something wrong, Crowe?"

Crowe sighed. "How ironic...here I am, thrust into a crisis where the fate of this world rests on my shoulders...I don't know what to say..."

"Crowe."

Crowe looked at Eleyna. "Yes?"

"So far, my auguries have proven to be true...it seems that you are indeed seeking to find your purpose."

"Yes. That, and...I want to do something right for once. If I just sat here and did nothing, I'd be a hypocrite...what will all that has happened be for, then?"

"Well, if that is the case," Eleyna said, "Let me help you."

"Thanks, but...I have to find my true purpose on my own. Right now, Eleyna, it's like I don't even know who I am. I have a feeling that if I just wander around for a while, I'll finally be able to know where my true path lies."

"If that is your wish, I cannot object."

"Thank you for understanding," Crowe said. He turned to Meracle, and said, "Where exactly am I, anyway?"

Meracle answered, "This is Tropp, on the Astral continent. Tatroi is a few hours from here, and across the canal from there is Astral City."

"Tatroi...and Astral..." Eleyna said. "That is where my auguries saw the chaos that would unfold." She looked at Crowe, and said, "Before you go...I want you to have these." Slowly standing up, she opened a drawer and handed Crowe a pair of short swords. "These were given to me by someone who also claimed to be of the Muah. Use them well."

"Thanks...You sure you should be up like that?"

"I'm all right," Eleyna said. Reaching into another drawer, she pulled out Crowe's technology - his laser swords and communicator - and gave them back to him. "I believe these are also yours."

"Thanks...take care, Eleyna." Crowe put his technology away.

"You too." Turning to Meracle, she said to her, "Alleyca...no, Meracle."

Meracle was amazed that Eleyna finally referred to her by her name, not as "Alleycat". "Eleyna...?"

"I want you...to accompany this man. I believe you'll be able to help him."

"Lady Eleyna..."

"I await your return...both of you. And...Crowe?"

"Yes?"

"I hope you see your friends again."

Looking back, Crowe said, "Thank you...Eleyna." He and Meracle walked out the door.

As she climbed back into bed, Eleyna thought, _The road that lies ahead...will bring much trials and sorrows...I hope both of you can handle it..._

Just then, Sarah knocked on the door. "Lady Eleyna?"

"Come in."

Sarah opened the door and then closed it behind her. "I thought I'd pay you a visit before I return to my enclave..."

"Sarah," Eleyna said, tired. "What good timing...I have a favor to ask."

...

As Crowe and Meracle were about to leave Tropp, Sarah called out, "Hey! Wait up, you two!"

"Sarah...?" Meracle was curious.

"Is something the matter?"

Sarah said to both of them, "I was supposed to return to my enclave, but I decided to pay Lady Eleyna a visit, and she asked me to come with you guys."

"Is that so..." Crowe murmured.

"Yes," Sarah replied. "I hope you don't mind."

Crowe paused for a second, and said, "Sure. You're welcome to come along, Sarah."

Smiling, Sarah walked with Meracle and Crowe as they left Tropp.

* * *

**A/N: Well, I squeezed in a focus shift to Edge and Reimi. xD Not much to say...except that the next chapters will have occasional focus shifts. **

**And I just can't believe my next semester will be starting soon. X_X Discrete Math AND Physics w/Calculus I! Argh...that means less time for chapters...but I'll try to make time, honest xD**

**Peace out...math in. -dies-**

**...And it appears I have a slight writer's block, what with the new semester coming. X_X The next chapter may have to wait a while... As usual, don't forget to review! I appreciate any constructive crits...I really do xD**


	4. Looking Back and Moving Ahead

**A/N: Okay, I know I posted this chapter before, but I revised it because I'll be honest, I wasn't happy with the way it was before. x_X Sorry guys....being rushed and all.**

**And what's more, I noticed a weird coincidence about the titles of the "main" chapters (the prologue doesn't count) -- they're named after BGM tracks on the First Departure OST, which I happen to be uploading to Youtube! O.O Freaky... Seeing as how this fanfic explains the tie-in to FD in a sense, I guess it's only natural. But I can assure you, I'll -try- not to make all of the chapter titles named after tracks on the FD OST....heheh**

**Disclaimer: I don't own -any- part of the Star Ocean series...not even its amazing OSTs, which are all done by the talented VG music composer, Motoi Sakuraba.**

**and ;i.l;k[afj THIS STUPID EDIT/PREVIEW DOCUMENT FUNCTION KEEPS MESSING UP THE CENTERING. sorry...frustrated.**

* * *

_**What It Means to Make Amends**_

_**Chapter 3**_

_**L o o k i n g B a c k and M o v i n g A h e a d**_

"Mmm...how long have I been sleeping?" Eleyna murmured to herself as she slowly sat up. She looked out the window, and saw the sky tinted bright orange. Dusk was approaching. "I see...it's evening already." Glancing away from the window, she thought, _I feel...lonely somehow...why am I feeling this way? Is it because..._

Almost immediately, she thought of Crowe. _Is it because of him? I don't even know the real reason myself, but ever since I met him, it's like he's...started a change in me._ _His kindness and sincerity...it's like they resonate from him and somehow...make an impact on me. I haven't felt this way in so long... Already, I have a deep longing to see him again. _She shook her head. _No...he said he had to find his purpose on his own. I must not interfere._

She stood up, and began to walk toward the door, clutching the pendant she wore, as if holding on to a wish to see Crowe once more. _Even so....if you do see your friends again, and you ultimately have to return to the star ocean, I only wish you would see me one last time...Crowe. _She bowed her head in regret._ And...I guess I shouldn't have imposed on you like that when we met... I ask that you pardon me for my foolishness._

Looking ahead, she walked outside, and saw rain clouds gathered in the distant sky. "A storm is approaching...be careful, you three."

* * *

Meracle, Crowe and Sarah had just finished traversing the desert leading to Tropp to Tatroi. It was a long trek, and the three were already feeling somewhat exhausted. "We're almost there," Sarah said, in an attempt to boost her companions' morale.

"Thank....goodness," Meracle said, out of breath. "I'm so....tired..." Crowe said nothing; he was glancing at the sky, grayed by the storm clouds.

"Hey, Crowe...what's up?" Meracle asked him. He only replied, "It's gonna rain soon..."

"Soon" was an understatement; it wasn't long after Crowe answered Meracle that a drop of rain landed on Meracle's forehead. "Eee!" she cried, surprised. "That was cold, meow!" She and Sarah looked toward the sky and saw the deep gray clouds hovering above. Within a few seconds, more raindrops started to fall, and it eventually escalated into a full-blown rainstorm.

"Aah!" Sarah screamed, spreading her wings and covering herself in an attempt to shield herself from the torrent of rain.

_This is bad..._ Crowe thought to himself. _Can't stay too long in the rain like this..._ He looked around quickly, and saw a vacant hut nearby. "Hurry! Follow me!" He ran into the hut, and Meracle and Sarah followed him.

"Huff...huff....that was close, meow," Meracle said, tired, as she, Crowe, and Sarah began to dry themselves off. "I'm all soaked...." Looking all around her, she recognized her surroundings. "Hey...I remember this place."

"Hmm?" Crowe asked.

"I remember...this hut once belonged to a settlement of people who called themselves the 'Black Tribe'. They kinda looked like you, Crowe...I mean, they didn't have any tails or wings, like myself or Sarah. One of them even spoke in a tongue I couldn't recognize."

"I see." Crowe thought to himself, _They must have been of the Muah too. _He asked Meracle, "Whatever happened to them?"

"Even I don't know," Meracle replied. "Edge, myself, and the others first met them shortly after we arrived on Roak." She giggled for a second, and continued, "There was this girl in the tribe who gave Faize this cloak. I guess Lymle was a bit jealous, because she kept saying to him from that day onward," and, trying her best to imitate Lymle's characteristic monotone voice, said, "'That cloak looks really ugly on you, 'kay?'"

"Heh." Crowe pondered, _I wonder how that girl, Lymle, is doing...she must have taken it hard after seeing what happened to Faize...poor thing._

"But one day," Meracle continued in a more serious tone, "Sarah was kidnapped, and we had to look for some way to get across the desert to the Purgatorium, because back then, crossing the desert was much harder than it is now. When we arrived at the settlement, there was no one there. I haven't seen any of them since... and I'm actually kinda surprised these old shelters are still here."

"Is that so...?" Looking down, Crowe thought, _They were most likely all wiped out...how horrible._

Sarah looked outside, and saw that it was raining even harder. "Oh dear, will you look at that rain. I guess we're stuck here for a bit."

"I guess we are..." Crowe muttered, sitting down on a nearby bed, looking outside into the rain. As he stared at the cascade of raindrops, tragic images came to his mind: An explosion in a building. Screams. Windows shattering. Blood on the floor. Ambulance sirens wailing. The newscaster, explaining what had happened. Crewmen lifting a woman onto a stretcher and rushing her to a hospital. A young man, no older than his teenage years, standing by the side of the woman's bed, holding her hand, crying, pleading her to live. The woman breathing her last. The sound of the EKG flatlining. The young man collapsing onto his knees, weeping.

_Huh?! Why am I thinking of that?...._

"Something the matter?" Sarah asked, sitting down next to Crowe. Snapping out of his trance, Crowe replied, "It's kind of a long story....one of the saddest days in my life happened on a day like this...when it was raining."

"I'm sorry," Sarah said, offering her condolences.

"It's fine," Crowe replied. "I..I'm fine. Really..."

Sarah pat Crowe on the back, smiling at him. "Heh..." Crowe muttered. "Thanks, Sarah."

Looking outside into the rain, Meracle cried, "I'm bored, meow!" An idea suddenly popped to her head. "I know!" She stood up and sat on the bed opposite the one Sarah and Crowe were sitting on. "How about I tell you about my favorite story, you guys?" she asked.

"A....story?" Crowe muttered, blinking.

"Yeah," Meracle nodded. "I don't think I got to tell you about 'Eleyna and the Feline Gourmand', Crowe."

"Wait...'Eleyna' as in the Eleyna we know?"

"Mm-hmm," Meracle said. "I told Sarah a little bit about it when she first mentioned Eleyna's name. It couldn't be mere coincidence -- the Eleyna in the story was a wise sage who could see into the future!"

"I know..." Crowe agreed.

"You know, looking back, I guess the other characters in the story sort of resemble us in a sense."

"...What do you mean?"

"You see, Crowe, in the story, there's also this feline gourmand who lives with Eleyna, and is always chastised for her antics. I never thought about it before, but I guess that character resembles me, in a way." She paused for a second and, looking at Sarah, continued, "And there's this 'chicken in glasses' that the feline gourmand always chases around." She giggled for a second.

"Uh...what? I don't get it," Sarah said in her typical naive manner, unaware that the "chicken in glasses" was referring to her.

"Heh..." Crowe tried not to chuckle too loudly, as he understood the pun.

"But most importantly, Crowe," Meracle said, "Much later on in the story, Eleyna meets this traveler who washes up on the shore....I really think you're the inspiration for the traveler in the story."

"Huh...really?"

"Yeah," Meracle said. "The traveler in the story is a really kind person, just like you."

Crowe blushed. "Thanks for the compliment," he said.

"Thanks. But what's more, is that shortly after meeting Eleyna, the traveler is in a desperate situation, so Eleyna decides to help him. But he ultimately decides to wander the continent in search of his true purpose."

"Wow..." Crowe was amazed. "That's just...exactly what I'm going through."

"Mm-hmm." Looking up, Meracle said, "You know...I wonder if we all have roles to play in a grand story, just like that story I told you guys about. I mean...everything that has happened...I wonder if this is destiny?"

"Good point..."

"You know, Crowe," Meracle added, "I once told Edge this story. He seemed pretty bored by it all, but it turns out that he actually was listening!"

"Heh, you know Edge," Crowe replied, then immediately asked, "Wait, he actually listened?"

"Yeah. I was surprised, to tell the truth."

"Huh....the Edge I know would always fall asleep during a lecture. I gotta hand it to him for actually listening to your story." Looking up, Crowe thought, _It's been two years...I just disappeared for two whole years and here I am again....Everyone has moved on, and yet I stay the same. I can't help but wonder how everyone else is doing.... Bacchus, Myuria, Arumat, that girl Lymle....Edge...Reimi...? I just wonder how they've all been able to move on...Especially Edge and Reimi. I hope they're doing fine without me. It still hurts me knowing I just disappeared from their lives like that...And...Dad...I wanted to at least reconcile with him. All I've done is cause him unnecessary worry, especially when...._

"Hey, Crowe...you okay?" Meracle asked him, as she saw the crimson-haired man seemingly staring into nothingness.

"I...I'm fine," Crowe answered her. "Seeing as how it was getting pretty late when it started raining, I guess we should call it a day."

"All right," Sarah said, standing up and climbing into the bed to the left of the one she sat on before. "Good night, you two."

"Hey, Crowe," Meracle said. "Don't worry. You just have to see things through. Everything will be fine. And..I feel you can make many great changes in the lives of others."

Hearing Meracle's encouraging words helped Crowe feel at ease. "Meracle...thanks," he said, patting her on the head. "You should get some sleep."

"Yeah," Meracle said, yawning. "G'night, Crowe." She climbed into another bed close by and tucked herself in, the sound of the rain lulling her to sleep.

"Good night, both of you." Crowe clibed into bed and pulled the sheets over himself. Before closing his eyes and going to sleep, he said under his breath, "Would I really be able to change the lives of those around me, just like that...? And...what about...? I guess there's no use worrying about it now. I should just keep going...see what the future holds for me. Yeah..."

* * *

Edge Maverick was sitting in the captain's seat, looking out into the star ocean. Sighing, he pondered, _I can't believe it's been two years since we've last seen everyone...Lymle, Bacchus, Meracle, Myuria, Sarah, Arumat..._

_....Faize............Crowe. I still can't believe they're both gone. ...Even so, sacrifices had to be made back then. But...why did it have to be them, of all people?_

"Hey....Edge?" Reimi asked him. Snapping out of his daze, Edge replied, "Oh..Reimi. Well...a lot has been on my mind."

"Hmm?"

"I've been thinking....it's been two whole years since we've been able to see everyone...and before we knew it, we've had to part ways. Of course...with Crowe and Faize..."

Reimi got the point. "Yeah..."

"En II has went into secrecy, and the Eldarians have migrated to Lemuris and given up all their technology. Aside from that, we'll be called back to Earth pretty soon concerning the UP3 and the Terran Alliance. And..." He paused.

"And...what?"

"And...I have a feeling something painful will await us when we return...."

"What are you talking about, Edge...?" Reimi could not catch on to what Edge was saying.

"....It's nothing," Edge replied. "Let's just focus on what lies ahead...together."

"Yeah."

Edge contemplated, _But still...I can't quite get over what happened a year ago..._

* * *

It was morning already. Seeing the sunlight pour in, Sarah awoke and walked out of the hut to get some fresh air. Meracle awoke shortly after, only to notice Crowe still asleep. She walked over to his bed and gently turned him over, hoping to wake him up. However, she noticed he seemed to be in some sort of pain as she saw his face. His eyes were shut tightly, his face was covered in sweat, and he seemed to be moaning in his sleep. "What's going on?" Meracle said to herself quietly.

"Uh...uhhhh...."

_**Where have you been all this time, Father?! Do you have any idea how long my mother and I waited for you to come home?**_

"Father...." Crowe muttered in a rather breathy tone of voice.

_**At the very least, you should have been by her side when she...**_

"Wh....Why....why didn't you...." In his state of distress, Crowe unconsciously gripped the sheets tightly.

"Crowe...snap out of it!" Meracle cried.

Upon hearing Meracle's voice, Crowe immediately woke up. "...Meracle?"

Meracle looked at him, and said, "You were talking in your sleep...you had me worried there, meow!"

"I was...?" Crowe sat up. "I must have been having a nightmare."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I woke you up, then," Meracle said, smiling.

"Heh..." Crowe looked around and saw that Sarah wasn't there. "Where's Sarah?"

"Sarah went outside to get some fresh air." Meracle paused for a moment, and then said, "Hold on...I hear something."

Crowe seemed perplexed for a moment, but then remembered that Meracle's kind had sharper senses than humans. "Something....like what?" he asked.

"I hear....marching.......chanting.... !! Could it be....!?"

_That doesn't sound good. _Crowe immediately got out of bed and ran outside.

"Hey, Crowe! Where are you going?"

Crowe turned to Meracle, and said, "Just stay here. I'll get Sarah. Something tells me that it won't be safe as long as those people are around," which they both knew who "those people" were.

Outside, the grass was covered in dew, the trees were still dripping from the rain that lasted the entire night, and puddles had formed on the ground. Crowe looked around quickly, and saw Sarah, not too far off. "Sarah!" He called out to her.

Turning around, Sarah said, "Oh....good morning, Crowe."

"Sarah! It's not safe out here! Get back inside!"

"Huh?" Sarah looked around. "I don't see any---"

"Hurry!!"

Heeding his warning, Sarah rushed back into the hut -- and just in time, too. A mob of men garbed in black was starting to march by, chanting in an obscure tongue. After signaling Meracle and Sarah to stay hidden, Crowe peeked outside of the hut to see the men marching toward Tatroi. _Those must be the Sydonaists that Eleyna told us about._ All of a sudden, one of the Sydonaists turned around, and Crowe immediately resumed hiding. But before that, he saw the man's eyes....demonic, cold as ice, giving off a murderous vibe. Crowe started to shudder. _What....is this I feel? Seeing that man's eyes...ugh. It's making my skin crawl thinking about it._

Seeing the crimson-haired young man shivering, Meracle asked him, "What is it?"

"Huh?" Crowe stopped shivering. "I...it's nothing...." After the sound of marching and chanting died down, he looked outside and saw that the coast was clear. "Those men...they must be those Archfiend worshipers Eleyna saw in her augury. I saw them headed for Tatroi."

"That can't be good..." Sarah said.

"Indeed." Stepping out of the shelter, Crowe said, "Well, I guess it's off to Tatroi then...."

_So this is it...I know what I have to do. At least this way, I'll be able to redeem myself for the mistakes I made along the way before I came here. I just have to be strong....I can't let myself be swayed...._

* * *

**A/N: OMG, I don't believe it. Recently (probably rather late by the time this chapter is published), Square-Enix announced that Star Ocean 4 would be ported to the Playstation 3 -AND- it'll ship worldwide, unlike most "Director's Cut" remakes. I guess this means I probably will not get an Xbox 360 and I'd rather wait for the PS3 version to come. When it comes out (February of next year), I am so getting it. I just hope they consider adding Crowe's story to the game...who knows, it could even continue after he arrives on Roak xD**

**My writer's block is practically gone now too! But finals are coming up...X_X I hope I can squeeze in something before then....And this chapter still turned out short, but I am MUCH happier with it this time. xD See you all in the next chapter, tentatively titled, "And So It Begins".**


	5. And So It Begins

**A/N: Behold! I live!...-cough- ...yeah, a lot has been going on in the past few days, especially if you've been keeping up with my deviantART journal entries. xD;; But...the semester is finally over! And Christmas is coming up! What's more, Final Hikari is offering to beta my fics! Thanks so much Final Hikari ^-^ My writer's block is now less severe compared to how it was before, so here goes. xD**

**One more thing - I pretty much passed all the courses this semester! xD I'm sooo happy =3**

**Warnings: Some slight bloody violence...AND THE INTRODUCTION OF OCs. I -try- not to make them too Mary Sue or Gary Stu-ish, so bear with me. and I hope I didn't overdo the violence...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean...but I do own these OCs, I guess you could say.**

**Notes: Some of the OCs introduced are related to characters in FD. You'll see which ones soon enough.**

* * *

_**What It Means to Make Amends**_

_**Chapter 4**_

_**And So It B e g i n s**_

Eleyna Farrence was sitting on a bench in the Tropp town square, looking at the sky. Her expression was impassive and her eyes calculating. It was a rather pleasant day - hardly any clouds could be seen in the clear blue sky, and a gentle breeze blew through the town. Yet, Eleyna was not exactly calm.

_Why do I feel so nervous right now?_ Eleyna wondered with a slight frown. _Is it because of the events to come...the events I saw in my auguries? And that man...Crowe...could he really be Roak's savior? And..._ She shook her head. _Why...why can't I stop thinking about him?...I just need to calm down. Maybe if I head back home and tell someone their fortune, that could help me take my mind off of all this._ She stood up and began to walk back toward her house when she happened to overhear some young men talking. What they were talking about piqued the Fellpool woman's curiosity, and she stuck around to listen.

"Hey, did you hear? There's been a suspicious group of men in black sighted heading toward Tatroi!" the one said loudly.

_Could they be talking about...?_

"Yeah. I heard that they've obtained many followers during their travels," the second remarked.

"Wanna know what I heard? I heard that they've committed many crimes while on the Van continent, including thievery and murder! What's more, no one has managed to catch them! They just strike unexpectedly and vanish as soon as they appear, from what I've heard. It's like they're...demons."

"Ya know, this sounds just like the whole Church of Sydonai business two years ago."

"Rumor has it that their goal is to revive the Archfiend, Asmodeus, just like those Sydonai idiots. It's a load of bullcrap if you ask me."

_That's...!_ Eleyna walked away as calmly but quickly as she could, and headed for her house. As she entered her house, she leaned against the door and thought, _I guess there's no escaping it...This is the turning point for all of Roak._ All of a sudden, she could hear a ringing in her ears, and she started to have a severe headache. "Ahhhhn...what...?" She collapsed onto the floor as several images began to flash before her eyes.

"...! Is this...?" The ringing stopped, and Eleyna saw all that she needed to see to know what to do. "There is no doubt. I have to let them know...but...I can't head back...there...just yet." She stood up, walked over to a table and, taking a pen and paper, began to write a letter.

...

"...There." Folding the paper up, she walked outside and, sighting a carrier pigeon nearby, held the pigeon and attached the letter to it. She cast a symbol on the pigeon, and told it, "Go to wherever Sarah Jerand may be, and give this letter to her." As she watched the bird fly off, she thought, _I hope you three can handle yourselves...the fate of this world depends on you._

* * *

As Meracle, Sarah, and Crowe entered Tatroi, the first thing they noticed was a crowd of people gathered as far back as the town entrance. No one seemed to be moving.

"What the hell...?" Crowe pondered. "What's going on?" He walked over to the closest person in the crowd. "Excuse me," he said, tapping the Fellpool man's shoulder. "You wouldn't happen to know what's-"

"Watch it, kid!" the man shouted, turning around. "I wanna know what the hold-up is as much as the next guy, but I've been stuck here for quite a while now. So just wait in line, like everyone else, will ya?" He shoved Crowe and turned back the other way.

"Some manners..." Crowe muttered sarcastically. He noticed Sarah flapping her wings, preparing to fly. "Sarah, what are you...?" he asked her. Sarah replied, "You two wait here. I'll try to get a view from the air." Sarah flew straight up and continued to flap her wings to keep herself airborne once she could get a decent view. "Ah hah..." She descended, and told Crowe and Meracle, "They're not standing around for nothing, that's for sure. There appears to be some sort of accident up ahead."

"An...accident?" Crowe said under his breath. _Could it have anything to do with...?_ He immediately began to barge through the crowd, one person at a time.

"Hey! ! You got some nerve, punk!" the man who Crowe talked to earlier yelled angrily as Crowe pushed past him.

"Crowe! Where are you...?" Meracle cried. She transformed into her cat form to get through the crowd easier while Sarah began to fly toward the accident area.

"E...excuse me...pardon me, sir..."

After what seemed like hours of pushing through the crowd of people when in fact, it was only mere minutes, Crowe emerged from the bustling crowd at the accident site. Meracle showed up shortly after, transforming back into her normal self. Sarah saw her two friends from the air and landed close to them.

"Huff...huff...man...you've gotta be kidding me..." Crowe murmured, almost breathless. "Just what kind of 'accident' could cause a throng of people to gather around - ! !" He suddenly gasped in shock.

"Crowe...what is it?" Meracle asked the red-haired Earthling, who started to look disturbed. Once she and Sarah looked ahead, they had the same reaction.

Lying there in plain sight was the body of a man in his mid-40s, with a large, bloody sword plunged into his chest. Judging by the clothes he wore, he had to have been someone important. His eyes remained wide open even in death, reflecting the fear he felt in his final moments, and a small stream of blood trickled from his gaping mouth. Perhaps most disturbing about this spectacle was the fact that foreign symbols were carved onto his arms and below the stab wound. Whether or not the bloody etchings were made before or after the man died was unknown. Regardless, doing such a thing was unimaginable to the citizens of Tatroi, normal people who were just minding their everyday lives. Seeing this struck great fear into each of their hearts.

"Dear...God..." Crowe muttered in terror. "Who or what could be capable of...?" _There is no doubt. Those Sydonaists are the only ones capable of doing such a thing._

"Okay, what's the problem here?" an unfamiliar voice echoed from afar.

Sarah looked in the direction the voice was coming from. "Hey, you guys," she told Meracle and Crowe. "Here come Lias and Ashlay of the Astral Knights!"

"The Astral...who?" Crowe was unacquainted with the term.

"Lias Warren is the Captain of the Astral Knights," Meracle informed him. "And Ashlay is one of the best soldiers in the coalition. You know, Crowe, Edge actually met Lias!"

"Huh...really?"

"Here they are," Sarah whispered to Crowe and Meracle.

"I'll tell you more later," Meracle whispered. Crowe nodded, getting the message.

Lias, Ashlay, and a small band of soldiers walked over to the accident site. "Urk..." Lias was at first unsettled when he saw the victim's body, but then regained his composure. He turned to his soldiers, and said, "Alright, carry the body away for further investigation." His loyal subordinates followed the order.

Hearing the entire crowd murmuring, Crowe began to feel unsettled. _An accident like this...is capable of causing normal townsfolk to become apprehensive...? What could happen if somehow, they find out I'm not from here...?_

Lias turned to the crowd and said, "Citizens of Tatroi, do not be alarmed. We are investigating this case currently. However, I advise you all not to let your guard down, either. Currently we have no leads as to what these 'men in black' are plotting, but if you see any suspicious activity, please report it to the Astral Knights as soon as possible. I repeat, this is not a cause to panic." Seeing that the crowd had calmed down, Ashlay added, "We would also like to inform you that Tatroi is holding its 9th annual Astral Tournament, where warriors from all corners of the world gather to compete in an all-out arms competition. Any fighter is welcome to join. I wish you the best of luck. That is all." The crowd began to disperse.

Noticing Sarah still standing there with Meracle and Crowe, Lias walked over to her. "Well, if it isn't the Sacred Wings herself! It is a pleasure to see you."

"And you," Sarah said, shaking Lias's hand.

"Sacred...Wings?" Crowe asked.

"Oh," Sarah said. "Lord Lias, I don't believe I've introduced you to another one of my friends yet. His name is Crowe." She said to Crowe, "I guess I forgot to mention that I'm the good-will ambassador for my people in Astral. You could say I'm a...celebratory?"

"Heh...I think the word you're looking for is 'celebrity'," Crowe corrected her with a slight chuckle. He turned to Lias, and said, "Nice to meet you."

"Hmmm..." Lias murmured, looking at Crowe.

"What is it?" Crowe asked.

"...Nothing," Lias replied. "It's just...I've met some people like you once."

_He must mean Edge and Reimi,_ Crowe pondered. "I see..."

All of a sudden, a pigeon flew toward Sarah, holding a letter. "Oh...what's this?" Sarah wondered. She took the folded-up letter, which had written on its sides,

"Urgent! Deliver to King of Astral"

"Oh," Sarah said. "Looks like I have to deliver this letter to the King." She released the pigeon, letting it fly back to where it came from.

"Can we come with you?" Meracle asked.

"With this suspicious activity around, it could be dangerous," Ashlay interjected. "Miss Jerand, allow me to accompany you to Astral."

"Sure," Sarah said. "Well, see you two soon," she said to her friends as she and Ashlay headed for the docks.

"...Will she really be okay?" Meracle wondered.

"She'll be fine," Lias reassured her. "Ashlay is the second-in-command of the Astral Knights. She'll be in good hands." He began to walk off. "Well, good day to you both, and take care."

"You too." After seeing Lias walk off, Crowe asked Meracle, "So...what do we do now?"

"Hmmm...how about a walk around town?" Meracle suggested. "It's better than just waiting here doing nothing."

"Heh, you do have a point..."

However, after walking only a short distance, Meracle noticed something unusual. "Hmm? What's that?" she muttered, glancing toward the alley.

"What's what?" Crowe asked her. She ran into the alley, and Crowe followed her. What they found surprised them.

A young woman was lying face-down on the ground, unconscious. She had long, somewhat curly pink hair; pointed ears; a slightly bushy pink tail; and was wearing a green and pink dress and brown boots. Thankfully, she did not appear to be wounded. She did, however, take quite a beating.

"Is she alright! ?" Crowe exclaimed. He knelt down and touched the woman's wrist, feeling a pulse. "She's still alive. That's good."

"Uh...uhh..." the woman moaned as she awoke. "Who...who are you?" she asked, turning over slowly and looking at the two people who found her.

"We're here to help you," Crowe answered the young woman. "What happened?"

"I...I can barely remember," she murmured. Looking around frantically, she suddenly exclaimed, "Wait...where are they? !"

"Where are who?" Meracle asked.

"There were these two children I was walking around with before-"

"Just calm down," Crowe said to her. "You're not in very good shape. You need help. Do you remember anything that happened before?"

"I...I remember there were these two men...they ran off with-" and then she passed out.

"Hey, hold on!" Crowe turned to Meracle and told her, "See if you can get someone to take her to a nearby inn, and stay here once she gets help."

"Okay..." Meracle said. "Where are you going?"

"She said something about some children being kidnapped. I'm going to check it out." He ran off.

Heeding Crowe's instructions, Meracle slowly carried the woman into plain sight and called out, "Can anyone help? This woman needs to be taken to an inn, pronto!"

...

Crowe continued to run through the alleyway until he saw two men, garbed entirely in black, holding two children, a boy and a girl, both no older than thirteen years old, captive. Once he saw them, he hid behind a trash can and listened to their conversation.

"Heh heh...think these two could be the ones?"

_What are these men up to...?_

"Certainly...they could be the sacrifices that will awaken our Lord!"

_They're...!_ Crowe immediately came out of hiding and faced them. "What do you think you're doing!" he shouted. As the two cultists turned toward Crowe, he saw the faces of the children they held hostage, and was suddenly overcome with a certain feeling. _Those children...they look just like...!_

"Who the hell are you?" one of the garbed men asked. Immediately, Crowe ran toward the cultists and managed to slam both of them against the wall, forcing them to release the children they held in their grasp. He whispered to the children, "Run, you two," glancing in the direction he wanted them to run. As they ran, Crowe pulled out his daggers and faced the Sydonaist men.

"You...!" one of the Sydonaists exclaimed as he pulled out his weapon, a large tomahawk. "Try to ruin our plans, eh? Prepare to die!" His partner pulled out his own weapon, a cleaver, and charged toward the Earthling. As the cultist with the cleaver swung his weapon at Crowe, Crowe dodged as quickly as he could, the blade just barely grazing his crimson hair as it swooped past and became lodged in the wall. Crouching, he then tripped the cultist wielding the tomahawk, causing him to drop the weapon, and Crowe hacked at the tomahawk with his short swords until it was reduced to pieces of metal. The one who wielded the tomahawk gasped as he saw his weapon shattered to pieces.

"What?" the other Sydonaist exclaimed. He pulled his cleaver out of the wall and charged at Crowe, but Crowe blocked the blow with his short swords, overtook the remaining ruffian, and knocked the cleaver out of his hands. The cleaver hit the ground and broke in two. "Uh...uwaaah..." the other ruffian cried. Pointing one of his short swords at the cultist who wielded the now-broken billhook, Crowe shouted, "Okay, tell me who sent you and what you are doing here!" Both cultists only laughed sinisterly. "Answer me!"

One of the cultists only replied, "You have no idea of what is to come..." After that, they vanished in a plume of dark flame. Crowe could not believe what he saw. _Just what are they...? To have that sort of power..._ Just then, he remembered about Meracle and the children. _That's right, I have to see if they made it to safety._ He walked out of the alley calmly.

As he walked into the sunlight, Meracle said, "Oh, there you are, Crowe." She walked toward him, along with the two children he saved earlier.

_Good,_ Crowe thought as he noticed the children with Meracle. _They went to her after I saved them._ He looked at them for a second, and thought, _They look just like Edge and Reimi..._

"Hey, mister," the boy said to Crowe. "Thanks for saving us back there."

"You're welcome," Crowe said, crouching down. "I just couldn't turn someone in need down."

"U-um..." the little girl murmured. "Where's Miss Arianna?"

"Who?" Meracle asked.

"You see, we're orphans. Miss Arianna Chliette is our caretaker."

"I see..." Crowe thought, _They must be referring to the woman we saw earlier._

"Yeah...we got separated," the boy added.

"Oh, her?" Meracle answered. "She's fine. I got someone to take her to the inn. Would you like to see her?"

"Sure," the little girl said.

As they all walked toward the inn, Crowe said to the orphans, "I don't believe I got your names..."

"Oh, I'm Mikhail," the boy said.

"And my name's Fionne," the girl added.

"Nice to meet you, Mikhail, Fionne. You can call me Crowe," he said.

"And I'm Meracle," Meracle chimed.

"Nice to meet you guys," Mikhail said. Fionne nodded, smiling.

As they entered the inn, Meracle saw the young man who volunteered to take Arianna to the inn when she and Crowe found her unconscious in the alley. "Oh, hello," the young man said.

Meracle told him, "We're looking for Arianna...the woman we asked you to help."

"Oh, her," the young man replied. "She's in room 201, where she's currently being taken care of. It would be best to let her rest for a while."

"I see..."

...

The group sat down on some chairs in the waiting room. "Excuse me...Crowe?" Fionne asked.

"Yes?"

"I don't think we got to tell you...we had a friend who sort of looked like you."

"Is that so?" Crowe asked.

"Yes. His name was Marius. We've been close friends since Arianna took all three of us in. But..." she paused.

"But...what?"

Fionne continued, "A year ago, Marius was adopted, and he left for Eckdart with his new parents. He said he would write us letters from time to time, but we haven't heard from him recently..."

"I see..." Crowe paused for a moment, and said, "I hope this doesn't sound odd, but...I have two friends who look like you two, actually. The three of us have also been close friends since we were young. You see, we got separated, too, and I hope to see them again someday."

"I know how you feel," Mikhail said. "We both miss Marius a lot, and we really hope to see him again someday."

"Heh...I can tell."

"So...what do we do now?" Meracle asked. "Just so you know, you two, Crowe is...kind of new in town, and I was going to show him around while we wait for a friend to come back, but you two can come along, as well."

"Oh, we'd love to!" Fionne said enthusiastically.

"Heehee...then come along!"

However, as the four left the inn, they ran into someone unfamiliar. He was a young man, slightly younger than Crowe, with white wings; braided blonde hair; blue eyes; and garbed in a light blue garment. _He seems to be the same race as Sarah...a Featherfolk,_ Crowe thought.

"Excuse me...are you Crowe?" the Featherfolk youth asked.

"Yes, that's me," Crowe replied. "Did something happen?"

"It's Sarah...she's hurt!"

"What?"

...

"Oh, pardon me, I failed to introduce myself. My name is Marcel Jerand. I'm one of Sarah's two younger brothers."

"What happened, Marcel?" Meracle asked, anxiously.

"It all started in Astral..."

* * *

_Upon arriving in Astral Castle Town, Ashlay said to Sarah, "I trust you'll be fine from here on out. We haven't had any reports of suspicious activity here in Astral, so you should be fine. Besides, our knights will always protect you when the time arises, Sacred Wings."_

_"Thank you, Sir Bernbeldt," Sarah said. She walked toward the castle._

_"Hey! Sarah!" a familiar voice called out._

_As it turned out, it was Sarah's two younger brothers: Marcel, the oldest of the two; and Lucas, the youngest._

_"Oh, Marcel, Lucas. What brings you two here?"_

_Marcel said, "Sarah, Father has been worried about you. I mean, you just left one day for flying practice and didn't return right away. He would like you to come home."_

_"Heehee...I would really like to, but I can't right now. I have some very important things to do." She walked off._

_"Typical Sarah..." Lucas chimed. Marcel nodded in agreement._

_..._

_"Greetings, Your Highness," Sarah said, walking into the throne room and bowing before the King._

_"Ah, the Sacred Wings has graced me with a visit," the King of Astral said. "Is there something of concern?"_

_"As a matter of fact, there is, Your Highness," Sarah said. She walked up to one of the soldiers and handed him the letter she received earlier. The soldier walked up to the King and gave him the note. _

_"Hmmm..." the King murmured as he opened the letter. He began to read it. "...What?" he said._

_"Is something the matter?" Sarah asked._

_"...It appears that, according to the auguries recorded in this letter, that a new Sydonaist cult is planning to attack Astral Castle Town...who knows what they could be capable of..." The King turned to Sarah, and said, "I thank you for letting us know of this in advance." He turned to one of his soldiers, and said, "Argosy."_

_Del Argosy, otherwise known as the Crimson Shield, one of the Astral Knights' most renowned swordsmen, said, "Yes, my lord?"_

_"Could you head for Tropp and let Eleyna Farrence know that she is summoned to Astral Castle regarding this matter?"_

_"It would be an honor, my lord." He walked out._

_"Well then, until next time, Your Highness," Sarah said._

_"Until next time."_

_About ten minutes after Sarah walked out the door, a soldier barged into the throne room. "Bad news, Your Highness!"_

_"Yes?"_

_"There's been a security breach! Apparently, our treasury has been broken into!"_

_"What? !"_

_..._

_As Sarah waited at the docks, she noticed several guards were shouting, "Stop! Thief!" As she turned around, she saw a burlesque man garbed in black fleeing from the guards. "Oh my..." Sarah murmured._

_The thief continued to run toward the docks. As he approached the docks, he saw Sarah, and shouted, "Get out of my way!" He shoved Sarah against a crate and jumped on the boat as it arrived. Holding his weapon to the ferryman's throat, he said, "Take me to Tatroi, and I promise not to kill you."_

_Immediately, Lucas and Marcel ran to their sister's aid. "Sarah...you okay?"_

_Sarah had taken quite a beating from the thief. "Uhh...c...could you tell...Crowe and...Meracle..." She passed out before she could finish her sentence._

_"I will tend to her wounds here, brother," Lucas said to Marcel. "You go ahead and inform Sarah's friends about what happened. I believe their names are Crowe and Meracle."_

* * *

"...And that's what happened," Marcel concluded.

"Where is he?" Crowe asked. "Where is the man who attacked Sarah?"

"I understand you want to get back at these men for harming your friend. And... Sarah is my sister, and I'd do anything for her. But you shouldn't just rush into matters like this without knowing what you're up against," Marcel said.

"I'm aware of that," Crowe replied. "But...at the same time...before I came here, I was doubting myself. I had made so many mistakes in the past, and now I wish to make up for them...I want to be able to protect those around me at any cost."

"I admire your determination." Marcel paused for a moment, and said, "I asked around, and the people said they saw him heading into the Coliseum."

"Alright, then," Crowe said. "I have to do this...And...I feel I am prepared."

* * *

**A/N: I'm sure you all know what's coming up next...yes, the Coliseum part! If you remember the "Eleyna and the Feline Gourmand" PA, "the traveler [aka Crowe]...eventually wound up fighting a bad guy in the coliseum". It could be a little tricky writing the next part but I think I can manage xD**

**In case you're wondering, Sarah does have two younger brothers, according to her Dictionary Entry. It states that she is not the mother of Ioshua (and Erys) from SO1, but most likely her aunt through one of her brothers, which, ironically, are unnamed. I gave them names, as you see. And I personally imagine that the youngest (Lucas) is the father, as the dictionary entry does not actually specify which of the brothers is Ioshua and Erys's father. And also, Arianna Chliette is Millie's ancestor, since, as you can tell from this fic (or what is going to come anyway), Eleyna and Crowe are essentially Roddick's ancestors, and, according to a PA in FD, Dorne had an ancestor named Dirne (I'm serious xD). So I was asking myself, "Who could be Millie's ancestor?" There ya go xD**

**And the cleaver business?...yes I admit to watching a lot of When They Cry, so yeah XD See you all in the next chapter!**


	6. Revelation

**A/N: Hey there, readers. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year; I know I did (since my last update was before Christmas; it's been a LOOOONG time since then). And I just finished my Spring 2010 semester, which was HECTIC. X_X But I did well, thankfully… If you kept up with my dA journal entries, you should know much of what has been happening. Also, I couldn't get a PS3 for Christmas in time for SO4 International (which, as I found out, has NO new playable characters or alternate scenarios...how disappointing. But I'll still get it for the fact that there's no disc swapping xD). However, on June 12, I just turned 21! And the day before, I was able to play just a little bit of SO4…it was awesome. xD Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

**Also, very important. I will be posting updates simultaneously to deviantART and FFnet; however, due to the fact that FFnet has either a bug or an implementation that kills any instances of double punctuation (i.e. a "!" and "?" together), the FFnet postings will be delayed (in other words, I have to separate said punctuations by spacing). I just DO hope FFnet fixes this soon; it's a travesty.  
**

**One more thing though: if you've kept up at this point, please re-read chapter 2, as I made an important revision that will make the events in this chapter make sense.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean, but I do own the OCs I create, I guess.**

**Warnings for this chapter: Some partial nudity...again xD since you guys seem to like the fanservice...**

**Notes: In this chapter, we'll see yet another OC who is related to a First Departure character! We'll see who soon enough.**

**

* * *

**

_**What It Means to Make Amends**_

_**Chapter 5**_

_**Revelation**_

Meracle, Crowe, Marcel, and the two children walked through the imposing double doors into the Tatroi Arena. The lobby was full of all kinds of fighters from all corners of Roak - featherweight, sword fighter, and the like. Observing all the other fighters, Crowe began to feel intimidated; not because of the fighters themselves, but because he felt everyone would be suspicious of him, since he was not of their race.

_Look at all of them,_ Crowe pondered. _I...I'm not like them...at all. I'm not from this world. Wouldn't they be suspicious of me?_ He then remembered why he had entered the Arena. _That's right, those men...they hurt Sarah, and they could wreak more havoc if I don't do anything._ He glanced around subtly. _Hmm...I can't see any men garbed in black, and no one else here seems too suspicious either. But I can't let my guard down. Any one of these combatants here could be in league with the Sydonaists._

"Crowe," Meracle said, noticing the scarlet-haired human looking around. "What's up?"

"Huh?" Crowe turned to Meracle. "...Nothing. I was just...observing the combatants, that's all. Just...wanted to get a glimpse at what I'll be up against." He crouched down. "Listen...I must ask that you hold on to some things for me. Try to make sure no one else sees them." He discretely handed Meracle his beam swords.

"Th..these?" Meracle whispered. "I don't know if..."

"Please...it'll be fine. Just keep them safe."

Heeding Crowe's instructions, Meracle took the weapons. "Thanks," Crowe whispered to her. Standing up, he walked over to the registration counter. "Excuse me?"

The woman at the counter looked up. "Oh, hello," she said. "I assume you wish to participate in the Astral Tournament?"

"Yes," Crowe replied. "Is it too late to sign up?"

"No, no," the woman said, adjusting her glasses. "You're just in time - there's only one sign-up slot left, and we need one more combatant to commence the tournament."

"I see." Taking the nearby feather pen, Crowe wrote his name into the combatant list. "Crowe...F...Almedio...there."

While all this was happening, a mysterious figure, hiding in the shadows of the not-so-well-lit area of the lobby, watched Crowe from afar. Once Crowe finished entering his name, he glanced around quickly.

"Hmm...I feel like I'm being watched..."

"Is something the matter, sir?" the woman at the counter asked.

"Huh?" Crowe directed his attention to the woman again. "Nothing...it's nothing."

"All right, I'll let the tourney supervisors know so the tournament can begin. We'll be calling the participants in a moment. Why don't you wait a while?"

"Sure," Crowe said. He walked back to the others. "Well...I'm in, you guys."

"You're sure about this?" Meracle asked. "Don't you need to train a little bit?"

"I'm fine," Crowe replied. "Got all the training I need..."

"Well," Marcel said, "No matter what happens, just do your best."

"Yeah..."

"Hey, Crowe," Mikhail said.

"Hmm?" Crowe crouched down.

"We'll be cheering for ya!" Mikhail chimed, chipper.

"Yeah," Fionne added, "So give it your all!"

"Heh...of course." Looking at the two children, Crowe thought, _Already I can see faint glimmers of Edge and Reimi in these two...the way they support me...I know Edge and Reimi always had faith in me, and seeing these two do the same, well..._ He pat Mikhail on the head first, then Fionne. "I won't let you guys down." He stood up.

Within a few seconds, two soldiers walked into the lobby. "Will all the participants of the Astral Tournament follow us? The preparations are complete." Immediately, all the participants, including Crowe, stopped what they were doing and directed their attention to the soldiers.

"Well, looks like it's time," Crowe said to the others.

"We'll be watching you from the audience," Marcel said.

Crowe nodded. "Meracle, you remember what you have to do, right?"

"Yup!" Meracle chimed.

"Good." Crowe followed the other combatants, waving to his friends for a split second before moving on.

...

The combatants walked into the hallway leading into the battle area. One of the soldiers, who seemed to be the tournament director, explained the rules. While listening to what the director was saying, Crowe subtly glanced around once again, but saw no one who could possibly be in cahoots with the new Sydoniast cult.

"...Do you all understand?"

All the combatants immediately replied, "Yes, sir!"

_Heh,_ Crowe pondered. _I can't help but be reminded of my days in the SRF like this...kinda brings back memories. Can't believe it wasn't too long ago that..._

"Hey, kid," someone next to Crowe whispered. Crowe looked to his side and saw a brown-haired man, slightly taller and older than he was, with tiger-like stripes on his deep tan skin, and an orange tail extending from his posterior. _Hmm... seems he's of the same race as that Lias guy._ By looking at him, Crowe observed that this man was the same type of fighter as he was - a dual wielder, balancing agility and strength. "Hmm? Yeah?" Crowe asked the Highlander man.

"You new around here? Never seen you around before."

_Could he be referring to..?_ "Well, I, er..."

"Don't worry about it, kid," the man replied. "I have no idea why someone as young as yourself is entering the tournament, but I can see something...special about you. Can't quite put my finger on it."

"What do you mean?" Crowe asked.

"Well, for one, you seem like the type who has...a certain strength. One that none of these other fighters seem to have. It's like you have the potential to blow the competition outta the water, ya know?"

"Heh, thanks, I suppose."

"Don't mention it. Name's Arlon. Arlon Melle." He extended his hand, as if for a handshake.

"You can call me Crowe," Crowe replied, shaking Arlon's hand.

"Heh. I'll be watchin' ya, kid," Arlon said. "Do your best."

"You too," Crowe answered. "Maybe we'll get to go one-on-one later on."

"Heh, maybe..."

"All right then, let's get on to business," the director said. "We've selected the combatants for the first round...Crowe F. Almedio?"

"Yes," Crowe said, stepping forth.

"Eri Simel?"

A young, violet-haired Lesser Fellpool girl, slightly older than Meracle, stepped forth. "Let's do this, meow!"

"…I'm fighting a girl?"

"This is going to be fun, meow!"

….

The two entered the battle area and faced each other, ready to fight. "Alright," the tourney announcer said. "Let the battle…begin!"

"Heh, wouldn't want to hurt such a pretty girl like you," Crowe said to Eri.

"Heehee…don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're a hottie!" Eri taunted back.

"Huh?"

Eri placed small kunai between her fingers and hurled them at Crowe. Crowe dodged as quickly as he could.

"Heh, you'll have to try harder than that if you're gonna-"

Before Crowe could finish his sentence, Eri dashed toward him with superior agility and delivered a flurry of blows, knocking him down. He slowly stood up, only to be knocked back a short distance by another series of attacks.

_Damn…she's tough…_ Crowe thought as he slowly stood up. _If I understand correctly, she uses those kunai as a distraction. Hmm…_

"What's the matter, hottie?" Eri taunted. "You ready for more?" She pulled out a few more kunai from her pocket and, after readying them, tossed them at Crowe. Instead of dodging, Crowe stood there and raised his daggers the moment the kunai were about to strike, blocking them.

"What…?" Eri said in disbelief. She then dashed toward Crowe as per her usual attack routine, but Crowe dodged as fast as he could and got behind her.

"Crap….!"

"Like I said," Crowe said, standing behind her, "…I can't bring myself to hurt a girl." Putting his daggers away, he dealt a swift chain of blows to Eri that, while they did not do her any major harm, stunned her. She fell to the ground on her knees.

"Agh…"

"It looks like Crowe F. Almedio wins this round!" the announcer shouted. The crowd burst into cheer.

"Oh wow…he's soooo cool!"

"Ah! I-I think he's looking at us!"

"Amazing…"

"Kid's really something."

"The next round will commence shortly," the announcer said. Crowe walked back into the combatant waiting area.

"Nice job out there, kid," Arlon said.

"You…saw the whole thing?" Crowe asked him.

"Uh-huh. So far, I seem to be right about you. Just…keep it up."

"Thanks…you do the same. I look forward to facing you in the semifinals."

"As do I."

"Arlon Melle?" The announcer called.

"Oh…looks like I'm up, kid," Arlon said. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck," Crowe replied. "I'm sure you'll do fine." As he watched Arlon enter the combat area, Crowe thought, _It's strange...I can't help but feel uneasy about all of this. But why…?_

_

* * *

_

Navigating the hospital hallways, the nurse made her way to room 169 – the room Dr. Johann S. Almedio was occupying ever since the incident that sent him into a coma. It had been almost two years since then. She entered the room, which had an eerie near-silence that was broken only by the sound of the EKG beeping, relaying Dr. Almedio's heartbeat. Her footsteps seemed to make faint echoes as she walked over to his bed. Seeing him in that state was unsettling – an oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth, several intravenous tubes through his body. She noticed a digital tablet on a table nearby, and picked it up. On its screen were the results of the most recent diagnostic scan, taken a day ago. She read the results, and was shocked.

_Organ functions – slowly and irreversibly shutting down._

_Metabolism – degenerating._

_Overall diagnosis:_

And the words following the colon were displayed in deep red, bold letters:

_**Terminal.**_

"I feared it would come to this…" the nurse said under her breath. Looking at Johann, she thought, _Although….it's not surprising that this would happen…_

She turned the nearby patient's radio on, and a song from 2005 A.D. started to play. It began with a slow violin instrumental, and then proceeded to the voice of a young woman singing.

_Dr. Almedio… First he lost his wife, then his son, and now…_

_

* * *

_

_It was the night of the day the Underdeveloped Planet Protection Pact was established, and the Space Reconnaissance Force had officially become the Terran Alliance. Edge Maverick and Reimi Saionji were walking through the vast jungle of synthetic lights that illuminated the night and large television screens propped onto tall buildings on their way back to their dorms when they heard a familiar voice calling to them._

"_Excuse me?"_

_Edge turned around and saw Dr. Johann Almedio, Crowe's father, standing there._

"_Oh…Dr. Almedio," Reimi said. "It's nice to see you again."_

"_Same to you two," Johann said, shaking Reimi's hand first, then Edge's. "I've heard about your promotions. Congratulations."_

"_Thanks," Edge replied._

"_By the way…" Johann began. "Crowe…isn't he with you?"_

Oh God...do I have to tell him? _Edge thought._

"_Well…"_

_It was then that the display on the television screens changed, and the announcer began to speak. Edge, Reimi, and Johann's attention was drawn to them._

"…_..Of course, there were many sacrifices along the way. Many SRF members were killed or went missing in action." The screen changed to show a list, with pictures, of the unfortunate SRF members, and Johann's eyes were immediately drawn to his son's portrait, which said below it,_

"_Crowe F. Almedio – Missing In Action."_

"_What….?"_

_**Even though I weep easily, these tears are not because of sadness**_

"_They're lying…" Johann murmured._

"_Dr. Almedio…" Reimi attempted to console him. "I know how you must—"_

"_It's not that…Why won't these people have the guts to admit that my son is dead? !"_

_Edge and Reimi were shocked. "Dr. Almedio…?" Edge asked, apprehensively._

_**I chose of my own volition**_

"_Please…I don't want to hear any more…!" Johann ran off into the street._

"_Dr. Almedio!" Reimi cried._

_Johann was so emotionally upset that he did not happen to notice a light approaching him quickly until he heard a car horn beeping._

"_Watch out!"_

_By then, it was too late. Johann turned around to see the car rush toward him until the inevitable happened. Everyone's attention was drawn to the incident._

"_Dr. Almedio! !"_

_**To be separated from those I cared about…**_

* * *

…_**I will always remember you, but I cannot dwell on the past…**_

Just then, the EKG started to beep slightly faster, and the nurse heard Johann moaning slightly. "Uuuhh…"

_Oh no…_

Johann opened his eyes and noticed his surroundings. "Huh? What am I…?"

"Dr. Johann Almedio…?"

"Yes?" Johann asked, apprehensively.

"Well, ever since that incident two years ago, you've been in a coma. What's more…"

"…What?"

_**I chose to fly with these wings, because I chose to live my life the way I wanted to…**_

_**

* * *

**_

The tournament had already proceeded to the semifinal round. After a great many battles, Crowe and Arlon were finally battling each other, just as they had hoped. The round itself was almost over - both had put up a good fight, despite the fact that both had similar fighting styles.

"Heh, you're good, kid," Arlon said.

"You're not bad yourself," Crowe replied, clutching his daggers in preparation for the final strike. "But only one of us can advance...you ready for this?"

"Give me your best shot, kid!"

The two fighters dashed toward each other, weapons clutched tightly, and, almost as if in a flash of light, dashed past each other. The audience was silent for a moment, until Arlon collapsed onto his knees, injured. The battle's outcome had been determined; Crowe was victorious. The crowd erupted into cheers. Crowe, on the other hand, was concerned about Arlon. He walked over to him and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, kid," Arlon said, wincing and grasping his arm, which had a small gash on it.

"But you're...!"

"Just a flesh wound," Arlon reassured Crowe. "Either way, congratulations. I was right about you...there really is something special about you."

Crowe paused for a moment, then said, "Thanks." He crouched down and shook Arlon's hand.

"Don't mention it," Arlon said. A Symbologist walked over to Arlon from the inner hallway and healed Arlon's wounds. "Good luck," Arlon said, following the Symbologist back into the inside of the arena.

Mikhail cheered from the audience, "That was awesome!" Fionne yelled, "You can do it, Crowe!"

The tournament director said, "And now for the final round!"

Out of the other corridor, a tall, burly man garbed in black walked onto the battlefield. Crowe stood on guard. _There's something suspicious about this guy..._ Once the garbed man walked closer, Crowe immediately noticed he was wearing an artifact on his neck that appeared to have been stolen from Astral Castle. It was then that Crowe realized who this man was.

"You...you're the one who hurt Sarah!" he said.

"Sarah...?"

"Don't play games with me!" Crowe retorted.

The tournament supervisor said, "Alright, let the battle commence!"

Crowe immediately charged toward the thief, but the thief, being of a larger build and therefore having more physical strength, grabbed Crowe by the collar, lifted him with his immense strength, and tossed him to the ground.

"Urgh..." Crowe grunted, the massive pain from the impact reverberating through his body for a moment. Slowly standing up, he brushed himself off and thought, _This guy's tougher than I thought...gonna have to come up with a better strategy._

"Hah! Pathetic," the thief said, pounding his fist into his palm, as a taunting gesture. Backing off from a distance, Crowe then ran once again toward the thief, leaping as he drew near in an aerial-attack attempt, but the thief knocked him back with a strong blow. The attempt was not a failure, however; Crowe did manage to make a small tear in the thief's sack, threatening to expose him.

Once he realized what Crowe had done, the thief yelled, "You...!" He pulled out a blowgun from his pocket and shot a dart at Crowe just as Crowe was standing up.

"Ow!" Crowe shouted as the dart hit his left arm. Within a matter of seconds, something strange happened. "Ugh...what? My arm...it's going...numb?" His paralyzed left hand dropped the dagger almost automatically.

"Heh heh..." The thief shot three more paralyzing darts at Crowe; one at each of his remaining, unparalyzed limbs.

_Argh...my body...I can't move... _Crowe began to lose his balance as he felt himself losing sensation in his limbs. _I guess...this is it...I screwed up..._ he thought, as he collapsed to the ground, paralyzed.

Immediately the tourney supervisor yelled, "Halt!" He walked over to the thief. "According to the tournament rules, paralyzing opponents is an illegal move! Henceforth, you are disquali-"

The thief grabbed the supervisor in a stranglehold. "If you disqualify me, I swear I will..."

As the audience booed, Lias Warren and two of his Astral Knights subordinates jumped down into the battlefield safely. "Hold him down," he ordered his subordinates, who followed his command. After the thief was restrained and the supervisor released from his grasp, Lias examined the tear in the thief's sack, and then tore it all the way, causing the stolen treasures to spill out. The audience gasped. "Hmm...so you're the thief who stole from the castle..." He told his two subordinates, "Arrest him." The soldiers carried the thief away. Shortly after, the same Symbologist from earlier walked onto the battlefield and cured Crowe of his paralysis. Crowe stood back up.

The tourney supervisor was at a loss of words, but then regained composure and said, "Since the challenger has been disqualified, Crowe F. Almedio wins the final round and the tournament!" The audience burst into massive cheer.

"Awesome!"

"Way to go!"

Walking over to Crowe, Lias said, "So we meet again...Crowe, is it?"

"Yes, Lord Lias," Crowe replied.

"I must say, I am amazed at your fighting prowess," Lias complimented him.

"Thank you," Crowe replied.

"You wouldn't mind if we had a short duel now?"

"Heh, be my guest."

The tournament supervisor said, "The tournament may be over, but now begins a special bout: the current champion versus the Captain of the Astral Knights! Let the battle-"

However, just as the announcer was going to finish his sentence, a scream emerged from the audience. Crowe recognized the scream as Meracle's. "Meracle!"

"Help!"

All attention was diverted to another man in black - a Sydonaist - attacking Meracle and mugging her. The cultist ran off.

_Oh no...those were...!_

The audience began to panic. Lias said to his soldiers, "Alert all our men to guard every exit in town. Don't let him escape." He then began to run into the corridor, heading to exit the arena. Crowe shouted, "Wait!"

"Hmm?"

Running over to Lias, Crowe said, "Please, let me come with you."

"I'm afraid I cannot," Lias replied. "It's too dangerous."

"_Please_," Crowe reiterated. "The thief stole something that belongs to me, and I insist I come along. I know what I'm doing."

"...Very well then," Lias said. He and Crowe ran, exiting the arena.

Back in the audience, Marcel asked Meracle, "Are you alright?"

"Y...yeah," Meracle said, brushing herself off. She checked herself and noticed that Crowe's beam swords were missing. "Oh no..."

"What?"

"They've been stolen!"

"What has been...?"

"Listen, Marcel," Meracle said. "I have a favor to ask. Could you accompany Mikhail and Fionne back to the inn? I have to go after Crowe."

"But..."

"Please, I'll be fine. I'll meet you guys back at the inn," Meracle said, running off.

...

"Crowe...!" Meracle cried, chasing after him and Lias, both of whom quickly seemed to vanish into the crowd. "I've lost him..."

"Meracle...!" a familiar voice called out.

Meracle turned around and saw Sarah and Lucas. "Sarah...you're back?"

Lucas asked Meracle, "What happened?"

Meracle told Lucas all that had happened, without divulging what exactly it was that was stolen, only that it was important. "I see..." Lucas said. "Let's hurry, then."

...

After a long chase, the thief was finally cornered at the town square. The crowed looked on as Crowe, Lias, and a team of Astral Knights confronted the thief.

"Crap...I'm trapped..." the thief said. "But why are you all going through all that trouble for these things?" He pulled out the stolen technology from his pocket. "What do these even do, anyway?" He found buttons on each of the blades, and pressed them. An ominous whirring noise was heard and two beams of blue light shot up from the swords.

Crowe knew what this meant. _No...!_ He immediately ran to the thief, tackled him, and, after grabbing the beam swords, turned them off and put them away. Immediately, the crowd began to murmur. Crowe looked all around, and realized they were all talking about him. Slowly, the murmuring noises began to be muffled by the sound of his heart beating violently in his chest.

_Oh God...they know...they know my secret...that I'm not from this world...__**they know who I am.**_

Crowe began to feel dizzy before immediately passing out.

* * *

_Crowe lay on a couch in his dorm in USTA Headquarters, asleep. The morning sunlight crept in through the window, and he opened his eyes. Yawning and stretching his arms for a moment, he stood up and looked out the window. He once again beheld the tragic sight of the planet covered by debris and dust. He pondered, _It's sad…how Earth had to end up like this…but I feel that I, and everyone else in the Space Reconnaissance Force, will be able to—

_Within a few seconds, the phone rang. Crowe picked it up. "Hello?"_

"_Crowe?"_

"…_Dad?"_

"_Listen, Crowe…" Johann said over the phone. "I know I probably haven't been the kind of father you should have had. I mean…I couldn't seem to spend enough time with you and your mother. That was especially true when…"_

"_No, it's alright," Crowe replied. "I guess I overreacted that day. And…how were we to see it coming? It's not your fault, dad." He paused for a moment, and said, "I guess I should apologize. I tried to avoid you for a while after mom died, and I…I'm sorry, dad."_

"…_Thank you, son."_

_Crowe nodded and smiled, trying to hold back some tears. "Well, I'd best be going soon. The departure ceremony is about to start."_

"_Alright, son. You take care of yourself…and do your best."_

"_Of course, dad. When I return home, it'll be a day that we can all start over…you, me…all of us."_

_

* * *

_

"Uh...uhhnn..." Crowe slowly awoke to find himself lying on a bed in the inn.

"You okay, Crowe?"

Crowe looked around and saw Sarah sitting in a chair next to the bed; Meracle, Marcel and Lucas were also present. "Sarah…you're alright?"

"I'm fine, Crowe," Sarah replied. "My brother Lucas took care of me."

Lucas walked over to Crowe. He was slightly shorter than Marcel; had long, silver-bluish hair; gold eyes; and light blue wings; and was garbed in a silver-lined robe. "Sarah told me about you…I'm Lucas Jerand. Nice to meet you." He extended his hand, as if for a handshake.

"Same here," Crowe said, sitting up and returning the favor. "Do any of you…remember what happened?"

"I can't say I remember everything," Lucas said. "When Sarah, Meracle, and I followed you, we found you unconscious on the ground."

"Is that so…?" Crowe murmured. Almost immediately, he began to recall what happened. "Wait a second…" Images began to flash before his eyes: Meracle being robbed… the thief discovering the full potential of the foreign technology…Crowe recovering the technology and, in the process, exposing his secret.

_Oh no…_

Lucas saw Crowe looking anxious. "Is something the matter?"

Crowe calmed down. "….No, it's nothing." He paused for a moment, and asked, "What about Mikhail and Fionne? Are they safe?"

Marcel walked over to Crowe and replied, "Yes. During the commotion, I accompanied them here. They're in the room next to this one, with Miss Arianna, who seems to be doing well. Would you like to see them?"

"….Yeah."

…

"Crowe!" Mikhail said.

"I'm glad you're okay," Fionne said.

"Same here," Crowe replied.

"Crowe…is it?" Arianna asked him. Crowe walked over to the bed she was resting on.

"Yeah," Crowe said.

"I must thank you for helping me back there….and for taking care of Mikhail and Fionne for me."

"You're welcome," Crowe said. "I'd do anything I can to help."

"Hee hee…that's very thoughtful of you." Arianna sat up. "Well, it's getting late. We'd better head back to the orphanage." She stood up. "Take care."

"You too." Arianna, Mikhail, and Fionne left the room, and Crowe walked back to his room, where Meracle, Marcel, Sarah, and Lucas were waiting.

"Well, Marcel and I had best head back to Astral," Lucas said. "We have some errands to run there."

"Lucas….Marcel…" Crowe said.

"Yes?" Marcel asked.

Crowe paused for a moment, and said, "Thank you both."

"You're welcome," Lucas said. He and Marcel left the room. Crowe walked over to the bed and sat down.

Meracle walked over to him, seeing the troubled look on his face. "Hey, Crowe…I'm sorry…for what happened. I should have -"

"No, Meracle," Crowe replied. "It isn't your fault."

_In truth, it's my fault…how could I be so careless?_

"…Crowe?"

"I-I'm fine," Crowe replied, his voice sounding somewhat nervous. "I…I think I'll take a shower."

"Okay, then," Sarah said. "Meracle and I are going to register our rooms with the innkeeper. We'll see you soon." The two walked out the door.

…..

Having disrobed of all his garments, Crowe stepped into the shower. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes as the heated water splashed onto his bare body. And yet, even this was not enough to calm him down.

"Heh…" he chuckled, bowing his head. "It's funny…how a hot shower at the end of the day would always help me relax back then. And yet…"

_And yet, I just can't seem to be at peace right now. There's no denying what happened today…a lot of people on this underdeveloped planet know the truth. Soon word will spread, and...who knows what will happen._ He opened his eyes and tilted his head upward. _And…Mikhail and Fionne…I hope they don't find out. How can I tell them that…?_

"So much for me trying to keep a low profile on this planet," Crowe said, sighing. "…I just hope I can still manage…"

After a while, Crowe turned off the water flow, dried himself off, dressed, and walked out of the shower room toward his bed. All of a sudden, he heard a knocking at the door. He walked over and opened the door.

"Meracle, Sarah…what's up?"

"Just to let you know, Meracle and I will be staying in the room to the left of yours," Sarah informed him. "I'm sure you'll be fine on your own."

"Yeah," Crowe said. "If anything should happen, I'll let you two know."

"Likewise," Sarah said. "Well, good night."

"G'night, Crowe!" Meracle said.

"Good night…"

After Meracle and Sarah walked over to their room, Crowe closed the door and walked over to his bed. As he lay down, he thought, _But really…I don't know if I can handle this by myself…_

_

* * *

_

**A/N: hehe, hope you enjoyed the fanservice…I believe with this, I am FINALLY over my writer's block! For the time being…it can always strike, yo.**

**Also, props to anyone who finds veiled references to THE iDOLMASTER in this chapter xD (-cough- yes, I'm back into the kick.) The room Johann is staying in is the reversed numbers of Production 961 from the SP games, and the insert song in the hospital scene is a transliterated version of Chihaya's song, "Aoi Tori", which I found fairly fitting here xD;;; And that Eri is named after Eri Mizutani from Dearly Stars…God, I'm getting obsessed again. –shot- Also, Arlon Melle is Phia Melle's biological father, since she is adopted by Lias in the events prior to First Departure. I imagine Arlon musta died in the line of duty…who knows, maybe I'll someday write a fic on that. xD;**

…**Holy crap, this has turned out to be one of the longest chapters I've written to date! I'll see you all in the next chapter, titled, "Total Eclipse of The Heart".**


	7. Total Eclipse of the Heart

**A/N: Well geez, I really, really apologize that that last update took so long. I'm already in my senior year now….work work work. Gotta prepare for my future job, ya know. Anyway, here goes! –brick'd-**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Star Ocean series, and in regards to the previous chapter, I don't own THE iDOLMASTER either! –brick'd-**

**And frankly, I wouldn't know if Roak has Earth's tarot system (which ironically, I don't really believe in tarot readings xD;; ). I just set it this way for convenience and to sort of keep Eleyna in character xD; **

* * *

_**What It Means to Make Amends**_

_**Chapter 6**_

_**Total Eclipse of the H e a r t**_

As the sun rose over Tropp, Eleyna Farrence stood on the shore where she met Crowe that fateful morning, looking into the horizon as the sea's surface reflected glimmers of sunlight. The scene was beautiful, and while it may have captivated some people, her thoughts remained distant. Not only did she miss him, she also felt somewhat lonely without Meracle's childish antics and Sarah to talk to once in a while.

_It's just like that time, so long ago… I haven't felt so lonely in such a long time._ She sighed. _No…I have to calm down. I can't dwell on things like this right now._

She walked back inside her house, and took out her deck of tarot cards and set it on a table and sat down. Drawing five cards and setting them face down on the table, she then flipped them over and read them.

_The Hermit._ The first card. A search for one's self.

_Crowe…_ Eleyna could not help but be reminded of him when that card came up. _What are you looking for…?_

_Death._ The second card. A slight frown pulled at Eleyna's lips at the sight of the ominous image depicted on the card. She was not sure what to make of this one.

_The Hanged Man._ The third card. Acceptance; a sacrifice of sorts…

_But of what? What will have to be sacrificed?_

_The Tower_. The fourth card. Unforeseen changes, tribulations.

_Crowe…it seems there will be hardships awaiting you, just as my auguries predicted…maybe they have already begun…_

_Wheel of Fortune_. The last of the five cards drawn. A turning point; many possibilities, not to mention interpretations.

_What will happen to all of Roak…? And what will happen when…_

Almost immediately, Eleyna heard the sound of knocking at her door.

_Crowe! Wait…it can't be him so soon. Why am I thinking these irrational thoughts…?_

She walked over to the door, and opened it. Del Argosy, the Crimson Shield, stood before her.

"Argosy…what brings one of Astral's most renowned knights to such a lowly place as this?" she questioned, her expression unreadable as it often was when she dealt with people she usually kept at arm's length.

"Miss Eleyna Farrence, I presume?"

"…Yes, that is I."

"The King of Astral has sent me here to inform you that you have been summoned to Astral."

_I never thought I'd be going back there so soon…_ "Why?" she asked, an edge of suspicion in her voice.

"You see, Lady Eleyna, it seems part of the auguries you described in the letter you wrote have come to pass…a prominent Symbologist has been murdered in Tatroi, and a cult of sorts is believed to be the prime suspects."

_So it has truly begun…_

"Very well. Let us be on our way."

As Eleyna left Tropp with Argosy, she pondered, _Still…what could those readings mean…?_

* * *

The morning sunlight shone through the windows and illuminated the room Crowe was staying in, waking him up from his sleep. The natural light was a pleasant change from what he was used to have shining in his eyes when he was growing up on Earth, but it was still something he wasn't entirely used to.

"Uhn…" He sat up and rubbed his eyes for a second.

_I still can't believe it…what happened yesterday…I guess I should just be prepared for anything at this point._ He climbed out of bed. All of a sudden, he heard a knocking at the door. "I'll be there in a sec," he called out. He walked over to the door and opened it.

"Oh…good morning, Meracle…Sarah."

"Good morning, Crowe," Meracle chimed. "You have some visitors downstairs."

….

As the three walked downstairs into the lobby, they saw Arianna, Mikhail, and Fionne standing there.

"Mikhail? Fionne?"

"Hey there, Crowe," Fionne called out to him cheerfully.

"So…what's up?"

Arianna replied, "Well, Mikhail and Fionne wanted to spend some time with you, Crowe. And I have a lot of things to do back at the orphanage…Sarah has volunteered to help."

"That's right," Sarah replied. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Arianna is a friend of mine and Eleyna's."

"I guess we'll be able to look around Tatroi more now," Meracle said. "Mikhail, Fionne…would you two like to walk around Tatroi with us?"

"Sure!" Mikhail replied with a nod.

"Well then, I guess we'll be going now," Sarah said. "Take care, you guys."

"You too," Crowe said. Sarah nodded and left the hotel with Arianna.

….

Meracle, Crowe, Fionne, and Mikhail had continued where they left off the other day, walking around town a bit more. Some of the sights were becoming familiar, but it was still enjoyable to see them again. The town was occupied with the usual bustle; not too busy, but also active enough to seem inviting. Tired, the four decided to head over to the plaza to rest on some benches.

"So," Meracle said, sounding tired, "Are you guys having fun?"

"Yup!" Mikhail replied cheerfully.

"Heehee…I'm glad," Meracle said, smiling.

Noticing Crowe looking at the sky, Fionne asked, "Hey, Crowe…what's up?"

"Huh?" Crowe looked at Fionne. "Oh…it's nothing. I was just thinking of my friends."

"You miss them, don't you?" Mikhail asked, tone sombering slightly. "It sounds like they meant a lot to you."

"Yeah…" Crowe replied.

"Your friends….what were they like?" Fionne asked innocently.

"Well," Crowe began, "Edge, Reimi and I were friends since we were young, like I mentioned before. They kind of looked up to me like the big brother they never had, since I would always be looking out for them. I beat him at almost every game we played. He used to get so mad when I beat him at sparring," he paused for a moment, and continued, "Edge was a bit stubborn sometimes, and Reimi would often lecture him for it." He chuckled briefly. "But nevertheless, we were really close friends. In fact…I promised them that one day, the three of us would be able to spend time together like we used to…but then we were separated."

"I'm sorry…" Fionne said. "It must have been really sad to have that happen..."

"It's alright," Crowe replied. "I'm sure I'll be able to see them again one day."

"You know…" Fionne started, "The way you put it…Marius was just like you to us. Since the three of us were orphans, he'd be the one to keep us together. He did so much for us, it's hard to really explain... And…" Fionne's eyes began to flood with tears.

"Is something the matter?" Crowe asked the girl.

"I'm fine," Fionne said, wiping her tears away. "Mikhail and I just…miss him a lot." Standing up, she asked, "Shall we keep going?"

….

After walking around a bit more, Meracle stopped for a moment and glanced around them. Her ears pricked up and she sniffed the air, trying to pick up on the scent she was used to having nearby. She then suddenly noticed Mikhail was missing.

"Wait…where'd Mikhail go?" Meracle questioned, glacing up at her companions curiously.

"Mikhail?" _Oh no…_ Crowe thought. _He's wandering town alone with that cult around? I have to find him… He could be in danger..._

"Mikahil!" Fionne called. But there was no response.

_Why would he wander off...?_

"Where'd he go…?" she muttered worriedly.

"I'll find him," Crowe said. "I should have kept a better eye on him…but I promise, I'll find him. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you guys…" and at that, he ran off.

"Wait, Crowe…!" Meracle called out, but he kept running. She looked at Fionne, and said, "Let's follow him." Fionne nodded.

…..

"Mikhail….!" Crowe yelled. He had looked almost everywhere and couldn't find the boy. He had run through the town countless times already, stopping only to investigate a place where Mikhail could have been hiding. His search was proving fruitless, much to his frustration. The simple setup of the town wasn't nearly as complex as the underground bases he had grown up in on Earth, but it was still proving difficult to find someone. Thoughts of the cultists swam through his mind as he gasped for breath. He collapsed onto his knees, exhausted. "Dammit…"

"Crowe…?"

Crowe looked up and saw Mikhail, holding a bouquet of lilies. He looked surprised at first to see the older Earthling before him, but Crowe was relieved to see Mikhail was fine and unharmed.

"Mikhail…? I was looking all over for you, why did you disappear like that? We were all worried…"

"I'm sorry, Mister Crowe," Mikhail responded. "I really am. You see…"

Before he could finish, Meracle and Fionne caught up to them.

"Mikhail?" Fionne ran over to Mikhail, looking very upset.

"Fionne, listen. I..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Fionne slapped Mikhail across the face hard, knocking him over. He landed on the ground, with a rather dumbfounded look on his face and a more than slightly prominent red, hand-shaped mark on his cheek. Crowe and Meracle were shocked at the oddly familiar scene, as well as the fact that such a reserved girl as Fionne would do such a thing.

"Fionne...?" Meracle exclaimed, looking almost as surprised as Mikhail.

It was clear in her expression that Fionne was really upset. "Do you know how much I worried about you? Something could have happened!" she exclaimed, tone still urgent.

"I know..." Mikhail said, looking down. "And I have a good reason." He showed Fionne the bouquet of lilies he held, her favorite flower, and handed them to her. "How can I forget such a special day as this? Happy Birthday, Fionne."

Her expression changed instantly when she saw the flowers. Fionne's eyes began to well up with tears. "Mikhail...thank you..." She hugged him tightly, the bouquet still in her hand. Though it was easy to notice the red mark on his face from when she slapped him had hardly faded.

"It's your birthday today, Fionne?" Meracle asked curiously.

"Yup," Fionne replied. "I'm thirteen now."

"Well then, happy birthday, Fionne!" Meracle chimed in with a smile.

"Yeah...Happy birthday." Crowe said.

_I can't help but remember...lilies...those were Reimi's favorite flower too.. It's almost like...Edge and Reimi are right here with me. These two are just so similar to them._

All of a sudden, Crowe could hear the surrounding crowd murmuring. The warm mood of the moment faded suddenly as the suspicious voices exchanged quiet comments.

"That man...isn't he the one from yesterday?"

"I think so, he looks familiar..."

"You think he's...?"

"Stop!" Fionne exclaimed. "This man...and his friend...they haven't done anything wrong, and they've helped us both so much. So please...everything's all right." The crowd dispersed.

"Fionne..." Crowe said. "Thank you." Seeing the sun starting to set, he said, "It's getting late...we'd better head back to the orphanage."

* * *

As Edge and Reimi entered the hosital room, the somber mood made it unquestionably clear that their reason for being summoned was not a good one. The door to room 169 slid closed behind them with an odd sense of finality. A shadow of hesitation was reflected in Reimi's eyes as they walked over to Johann's bed, but it did not stop her from walking forward.

There was a sense of isolation in the room, almost as though time had slowed down. Many met final moments that were anything but peaceful, but the sense of sadness that came with knowing the end was near could not be ignored. It hung in the air like an ominous cloak.

"Johann...?" Edge said as he and Reimi walked over to the former professor.

"Johann, we're here," Reimi said quietly to get his attention.

"Edge...Reimi...so glad you could arrive," Johann said weakly.

"Of course, we wanted to come as soon as we could," Reimi said with a nod and an attempt at a reassuring smile.

"I have things I must say to you both before I pass on..." he said, though his voice had grown weak and tired.

Seeming silent for a moment, Edge said, "...Yes?"

"I know I've acted reprehensibly to you two in the past...and now I don't even know if my wife and son will be able to forgive me...but...at least...I don't want to die full of regrets." He weakly reached for the tray next to his hospital bed and grabbed his locket. It was still in very good condition, though its exterior did look aged, as though it had been carried for a long time.

"Johann...?" Reimi asked Johann as he opened the locket.

"I have...some very important information...that I must...entrust..." he said, his voice sounding weaker by the second. He slowly held out his hand, holding the locket, and murmured, "Mr. Maverick...no, Edge...take this..."

Edge reached out and gently lifted the locket from Johann's trembling hands. "What is this for?" he asked as he examined the piece of jewelery. He pressed the opening at the side. Inside the locket was a photo of Johann, Nerissa, and a young Crowe. The other slot seemed to have an obscure series of characters engraved in it. They both looked at it closely, but whatever message it told could not be deciphered with just a mere glance.

"Project...truth...behind..." were Johann's last words before he slumped over in his bed and breathed his last, the EKG giving off a low, ominous beep to signal that the former professor had passed on.

"Johann...!" Edge shouted.

"It's too late, Edge..." Reimi said, flatly. "His time has come... let's go."

"...Right."

* * *

Meracle, Crowe, Mikhail, and Fionne entered the orphanage. The decor of the building was simple, and even in spite of that, the atmosphere was one of love and care. It wasn't at all foreboding, and even Crowe felt welcomed when they all stepped inside.

Sarah and Arianna were sitting at a table, drinking some tea. "Oh, hello...I guess all went well?" Sarah questioned brightly.

"Yeah..." Crowe said.

"Why don't you and your friend have a seat?" Arianna invited. "Mikhail, Fionne, you too."

As they sat down, Arianna told Crowe, "I thank you for taking care of them for me. I appreciate all your help."

"Of course," Crowe said with a nod.

"Good, it looks like they had a lot of fun." Arianna said. "Right?"

"Mm-hmm," Fionne replied, holding on tightly to her bouquet of flowers.

"Meracle, right?" Arianna asked Meracle politely. "Could you keep Mikhail and Fionne entertained for a while?"

"Um...sure!" Meracle chimed. "Mikhail, Fionne, why don't we go play for a bit?"

"Okay!" Mikhail replied happily.

As Meracle and the children left the table, Arianna told Crowe, "I should let you know...that Mikhail and Fionne are going to be adopted. Sarah helped me make arrangements earlier...I'm happy that they finally have a family that will take care of them, but also..."

"Hmm?" Crowe asked.

Arianna continued, "But also...I'm a bit sad that they'll be leaving. I took care of them for so long...they were so little when I took them and their friend Marius in. And it seems they'll be going to the same place Marius went when he was adopted...Eckdart."

"I see..." Crowe murmured. "That's quite far away."

"The adoptees will be coming soon. They've been staying here in Tatroi for a while, but they'll be moving to Eckdart tomorrow morning."

...

Arianna was still conflicted about her feeling about the two children she had cared for over so many years when the two people who would be their new parents entered the orphanage. In one light, she should have been happy, since they would finally have a place to call home, and parents to take care of them.

"Hello," Arianna greeted politely, smiling at the couple making the adoption. "Thank you for coming to talk with me."

"But of course," William said cordially. "Is there anything else that needs to be done before the adoption is finalized?"

"That has all been taken care of," she replied with a nod; her demeanor was almost flawlessly polite, revealing none of her indecision about seeing the children adopted. "I just wanted to talk to you about Mikhail and Fionne. They've been here for a long time, and it may take them a while to get settled in at a new home. They're both very good children though."

"They're the sweetest children we've met," Alysia added warmly. "We've got our home all prepared for them, too."

"I'm glad to hear that," she said with a small smile. "I'm sure they'll like it. They've come through a lot together, but they've always managed to be able to smile in almost any situation when they're together. We're very grateful that you're adopting both of them. I used to worry quite a lot that they would be separated."

"I agree that it's important to keep such close friends together, there's no need for a family to be further separated," he said with a nod. "They'll both have their own rooms at our home. Unless they want to share, of course."

"Thank you for being so thoughtful toward them," Arianna said, finding herself feeling more at ease with the arrangements. "I've been watching them grow for a long time now. They have some friends here, but I'm sure they'll be able to make plenty of friends in Eckdart as well. Please take good care of them."

"We will," he said, as both he and his wife nodded. "Is that all? Let's get going, then."

...

"Well, I guess we're here," Fionne said, sounding slightly hesitant.

Arianna told Mikhail and Fionne, "Well, I'll be staying over, if that's alright...I want to be sure to see you two off. I hope we can still keep in touch."

"Of course," Mikhail said.

Crowe could already feel a sense of heaviness in his heart. These two youths who reminded him of his two closest friends were leaving, and he felt he would never see them again. The separation may not have been as agonized as when he had said goodbye to Edge and Reimi, there was still a somber feeling to the situation.

"Mikhail, Fionne..." he began. "I regret that I really won't be able to see you two off...I have some important things to do. But I really appreciate the time we spent together, and I guess...that this is the last time we'll see each other. Even so...I hope you two take care...and I hope you see your friend again in Eckdart."

Fionne seemed silent for a moment, her eyes welling up with tears unbeknownst to Crowe, and replied, "Thank you...Crowe. We'll tell him you said hi...and...we'll miss you. We had a lot of fun spending time with you."

"I'll miss you guys too...a lot," Crowe said, an edge of sadness in his voice. "Well then, good night, and I hope you'll be safe..."

"Goodbye, Crowe...and thanks," Mikhail said.

"Bye..." Fionne said, smiling, trying to hide her tears. The children, their new family, and Arianna entered the house.

"Crowe..." Noticing the Earthling looking sad, Sarah consoled him. "It may be sad right now, but they'll be really happy to have a new home and a real family."

"...You're right," Crowe replied. "Night is falling...we'd better head back to the inn."

...

The three were sitting at a table in the inn's bar, drinking tea. There was an almost awkward silence, and Meracle noticed a troubled expression on Crowe's face. "Crowe...what's wrong?" she asked.

Crowe seemed quiet for a second, and then replied, "Have you ever felt this way...knowing what it is to say goodbye to someone, not knowing if you'll ever see them again?"

Meracle and Sarah were surprised. "Crowe...what do you mean?" Sarah asked.

"When Edge and Reimi returned you two here...did they have to bid you farewell? And if so...did they seem...sad?"

"What...?" Meracle was confused.

"...It's nothing," Crowe said. "Nevermind..."

_Although really, it's not "nothing" at all...They just don't have to know that if they aren't burdened._

All of a sudden, the door opened and a suspicious man, all garbed in black, stepped in. He looked around for a few seconds.

"You two..." Crowe whispered. "Don't look at him...Just...try to act normal. I have a bad feeling about this guy..."

The three sipped on their tea while Crowe kept a subtle and cautious eye on the man who eventually walked up to the bar and asked the bartender for a drink. After the coast was clear, Crowe whispered to Meracle and Sarah, "We'd better go back up to our rooms. Being in this man's presence makes me very uneasy..."

The three stood up from their table and walked up to their rooms calmly, so as not to arouse suspicion in the garbed man.

...

"Well, I guess we'd better go to bed," Crowe said. "Good night, you two..."

"Good night, Crowe," Sarah said.

"Good night," Meracle said, not sounding as happy as she usually was. Meracle and Sarah headed to their room while Crowe entered his. As he plopped down on his bed, he pondered, _I can't help but feel like I kinda...made Meracle and Sarah feel a bit insecure. And what about those two children...? I don't think I can sleep well tonight..._

* * *

It was already dark. Eleyna and Argosy were almost at Tatroi when Eleyna suddenly sensed something.

"That hut..." she said as she and Argosy passed the hut that Meracle, Crowe, and Sarah once took shelter in on that rainy day.

"You're not suggesting we stop here?" Argosy asked. "We have to be in Astral as soon as possible..."

"I know," Eleyna said. "I just...sense there's something here." They entered the hut.

Walking around, Eleyna couldn't help but sense that Crowe was here. _Crowe...agh! I've got to stop thinking like this. There's something else here..._

Almost as if by instinct, Eleyna walked to one of the beds and looked under the pillow. She found a folded-up paper, perhaps a letter of sorts. She read the letter.

"...! It can't be..."

"Lady Eleyna?" Argosy questioned.

Tucking the paper away, Eleyna answered Argosy, "It's a good thing we made this stop...I found some...very startling evidence. Let's hurry to Astral."

"Right."

* * *

**A/N: I know, I know. I am beyond late with this one…but the plot thickens! As for Reimi's/Fionne's favorite flower thing…I kinda made it up ^^; But it does have a more symbolic significance…you'll see in the next few chapters. And is it just me or did FFnet screw with the formatting more by taking out custom dividers? Crap...gonna have to fix the earlier chapters now...AGAIN. -sigh-  
**


	8. Calling to the Night

**A/N: It's here, folks. The moment you've been waiting for: the epic angsty chapter! I posted a rough draft on deviantART, and now, it's time. Prepare yourselves.**

**The title comes from the song, "Calling to the Night" by Natasha Farrow. It's the theme song for Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, and is also featured on Super Smash Bros. Brawl (which I have unlocked the song; my friend code is on my FFnet profile if you want to Brawl. Which I actually heard Nintendo is making a successor for the Wii ALREADY. In HD and all that stuff. And there will be a new Smash game...hopefully no need for friend codes.**

**Warnings: Bloody violence, partial nudity (again xD) and MAJOR TEARJERKER ALERT. Better get your tissue boxes on hand, folks.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither the Star Ocean series, the Metal Gear Solid series, the Super Smash Bros. series, or the song, "Calling to the Night".**

**And I dunno if Roak has a moon. I just went this way as usual for convenience xD**

* * *

_**What It Means to Make Amends**_

_**Chapter 7**_

_**C a l l i n g to the N i g h t**_

Crowe lay in his bed, unable to sleep. Staring at the ceiling as the dim moonlight sifted through the windows, he mused, _I've already gotten too involved with the people here on Roak...what will happen if I cause another incident similar to what happened on that Alternate Earth? That is why...that is why I cannot stay here any longer._

Climbing out of bed, he walked out of his room very quietly so as not to wake Meracle and Sarah. After determining the coast was clear, he walked out of the inn.

Tatroi was so much more different in the dead silence of night than in the plain daylight. Every light in each house was off, leaving only the streets dimly illuminated by streetlights. The pale blue moon shone in the sky, amidst twinkling stars and thin clouds that floated past, concealing the moon and revealing it once again as the clouds passed, giving the night a dream-like feel. The only thing that kept the night from being totally silent was the sound of crickets chirping. The cool nocturnal breeze blew as Crowe wandered the streets to the town square, standing in front of the statue.

Looking around, Crowe saw that everyone else was still asleep, so he wouldn't have to worry about anyone seeing him use his communicator. _I'm so sorry, Eleyna,_ he thought. _But...it looks like I couldn't find my purpose after all...it was all a waste._ Pulling the communicator out of his pocket, he dialed a number and shouted into his commicator.

"Hello! Is anyone receiving this frequency? This is Crowe F. Almedio, former Captain of the SRF-001 Aquila! I am currently located on the planet Roak! My coordinates: 079-538-74410-2! If anyone reads me, you will know where to find me!" After finishing his transmission, he looked at the screen on his communicator, which displayed only two words:

"Transmission Successful."

The message was simple, but it carried a great deal of meaning in it. He was making a definite change; it would be one that he could not take back once the plan took action. All the feelings that had haunted him since his earliest hours on Roak about whether or not he truly belonged.

_I guess this is it,_ Crowe contemplated, looking toward the stars. _The minute anyone in the SRF finds this transmission, they'll come find me...and then...I'll have to leave. It's what's best for this planet anyway._ He put the communicator away and began to walk back toward the inn, only to find Meracle standing there right as he turned around.

"Meracle..." Crowe muttered. "What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Meracle replied, looking at him curiously.

Crowe sighed, and said, "Well, why don't we just sit down for a second?" He walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. Meracle did the same.

"What is it?" Meracle asked the red-haired human, who was staring into the stars.

"Hmm?" Crowe looked at her. "Well...a lot has been on my mind."

"There has been a lot going on..." Meracle looked down for a second, and said, "You know, Crowe...I believe I forgot to tell you this. Edge, myself, and the others met Sarah here in Tatroi, and well...Edge was still very upset over what happened to that Alternate Earth at that time. He kept saying that he shouldn't get involved, because he was afraid of what could happen to Roak..."

Those words struck a chord in Crowe's mind. _Edge...felt that way? That's...that's exactly how I feel right now._

Meracle continued, "But once Edge met Lady Eleyna...I can't quite explain it, but he really changed...of course, after we saved Sarah and left the Purgatorium, something must have happened to Faize that he began to change, too...but for the worse."

"I see...I still feel kind of bad things had to end that way for Faize..." he trailed off, remembering the brief time he had spent with the Eldarian vivdly.

"No...It's alright," Meracle said. "It has been a while now."

"Can I ask you something, Meracle?" Crowe questioned.

"Yeah?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Do you...miss Edge, Reimi, and the others?"

"Yeah...but somehow, I have faith that I'll see all of them again...like, remember that day, when I played my ocarina? I'm sure the melody will reach all of them, and maybe we'll see each other once again..."

"...Thanks," Crowe said. "It's pretty cold out...we'd better head back to the inn."

"Yeah..."

As Crowe and Meracle began to walk back toward the inn, Meracle saw one of the houses' lights come on. "Huh? What's going on over there?" she wondered. The scarlet-haired young Earthling and the blue-haired Lesser Fellpool girl began to walk over to the house, when all of a sudden, the clashing of blades and deafening screams broke the near-silence. Once that happened, they immediately ran toward the house. Crowe recognized the house.

"That's...!"

"Oh no...where Mikhail and Fionne were staying?" Meracle asked.

"Yeah..."

Walking over to the house slowly, Crowe signaled Meracle to stop and hide, as he could see the door opening. After he hid, he stealthily glanced over his hiding spot to see a burly, tall, bald man step out, covered in blood.

_Oh God...please...don't let it be..._

The man looked around. Crowe immediately resumed hiding, but before he hid once again, he saw the man's eyes...cold, devoid of life, almost giving an impression of being possessed by a demon.

_It's him...the man we saw before heading to Tatroi..._

"Something wrong?" Meracle asked Crowe, who involuntarily shivered in revulsion.

"Huh?" Crowe snapped out of his daze. "It's nothing...we should check to see if Mikhail, Fionne and the others are all right."

_Please...let those two children be safe..._

They entered the house...and the situation was not at all pleasant. Tragedy had come and wrought its heartwrenching effect supon the home. The floor, walls, and windows of the house were covered with blood spatters, and worst of all, the unmistakable stench of death hung in the air. Chairs and tables were turned over, shattered glass littered the floor, and furniture was ripped to shreds.

Meracle gasped. "How...horrible..."

Crowe was just as shocked. _Who or what could have done all this? Could it have been...him?_ Immediately, he remembered about Mikhail and Fionne. _I have to make sure they're safe._

Looking around, he saw that Mikhail and Fionne's new father, William, was dead, lying in a pool of blood, his eyes still wide open in fear. What's more, their new mother, Alysia, was nowhere to be found, leading Crowe to conclude that she was kidnapped. Along the way, he immediately saw the body of a young, blonde boy lying there. _Don't let it be Mikhail...please,_ he thought. He turned over the body and could not believe what he saw.

"Mikhail...!"

Meracle ran over to Crowe's side and saw the boy lying on the floor, unmoving, eyes remaining open even in death. "No..."

To Crowe, it was as if Edge had just died and Crowe was not there to listen to his final words. "Edge..." he said under his breath, solemnly. Kneeling down, he leaned over to Mikhail's body and shut the boy's eyes with his hand.

_Edge...this boy...he reminded me so much of you..._

Meracle walked around and saw another body - a young girl's body. "Crowe! Come quick!" she cried.

Standing up, Crowe rushed to Meracle's side and saw that the person lying in another pool of blood was none other than Fionne. The girl's dress was soaked in blood seeping from a single, massive wound in her abdomen. Her eyes were closed, as if sleeping eternally. Crowe started to tremble. "Fionne..."

_Reimi..._

Meracle knelt down. "Poor girl..." She grasped Fionne's wrist and, feeling a pulse, gasped in confoundment.

"Meracle?"

"Crowe! ... She's **alive!**"

Crowe was astonished. "Hurry, Meracle, get Sarah! Maybe she can heal Fionne!" _Maybe I won't be too late this time...maybe I'll be able to save you, Fionne...Reimi..._

Meracle ran out of the house and toward the inn, which was not too far away. Crowe knelt down by Fionne's side, looking at her. _Please hold on..._ He began to stand up when he heard her coming to.

"Uh...uhh..."

_No...please, don't wake up just now..._

Fionne slowly opened her eyes. "Crowe...is that you?" she asked.

Crowe immediately knelt back down and held the girl's hand. "Yes," he said, smiling kindly but anxiously, his voice soft yet wavering.

"I'm so glad...I could see you...one more time..." Fionne said.

"Just hold on, Fionne," Crowe replied, the expression on his face more serious. "I called a friend of mine over. She's going to heal you...you're gonna be fine."

"You...shouldn't have called her," Fionne said in a sad tone of voice.

_What...?_

"What are you saying, Fionne...?" Crowe began to stand up, planning to look for something to stop the blood loss. "Just hold on until-"

Fionne grasped Crowe's hand. "Please..."

"Huh?" He turned toward her and knelt back down.

"Listen...I shouldn't have lied that day...about what happened to my friend. See...he died...a year ago."

"What...?"

"When Mikhail, Marius and I were young...we made...a promise..." Fionne said, weakly, her eyes starting to flood with tears.

"No...!" Crowe realized tears were gathering in his eyes as well.

"We promised...that we'd always be there for each other...and now that both Mikhail and Marius are dead, if I went on...living... without them...I'd be...a hypocrite..."

"Please...hold on..." Crowe was already starting to feel powerless, just like how he felt when Lucien died inside his spaceship two years ago and Crowe could do nothing to save him. At this moment, it was as if Reimi was dying in Crowe's arms and he could do nothing to save her, either.

"Listen...Crowe. Mikhail and I are both so glad we met you...you're the nicest person we've ever met...I now know that... even though there are... so many cruel people in this world, there...are also...some kind people...like you..." Fionne blinked, her tears gushing from her eyes and flowing into the pool of blood she lay in.

"Don't die! !" Crowe shut his eyes, his tears falling uncontrollably and splashing onto Fionne's face. "You **have **to live...! Please...don't die...!"

"I'm so sorry, Crowe..." She let go of Crowe's hand and reached out her own, blood-soaked hand to touch his face. "...but thank you...for all the memories... we shared. And...I hope...you see your... friends again... some...day..." At that, she closed her eyes and breathed her last, her arm dropping back into the scarlet puddle with a faint splash.

"No...!" he whispered hollowly.

Just then, Meracle ran back into the house with Sarah. "Crowe!" She called out. "Where are you? Where's Fio-"

And then they only saw one thing that let them know they were too late. A single teardrop splashed into the pool of blood, making ripples in the scarlet liquid. They saw Crowe, holding Fionne's cold, blood-soaked, lifeless body tightly in his arms, crying silently, his tears falling like hail from his closed eyes.

"It can't...be..." Meracle said remorsefully.

"I'm sorry..." Sarah murmured.

"No..." Crowe said sorrowfully, opening his still-teary eyes. "It isn't your fault."

"Crowe..."

"If it was anyone's fault, it was mine for being selfish...for not being there when they needed someone the most...to protect them." He looked at the young girl who reminded him so much of Reimi, his vision blurred by the tears in his eyes, and thought, _I think I now know how Faize must have felt when he saw that so many people he cared about died right before his eyes and he couldn't do anything to save them._ He lay Fionne to rest on the ground gently. _And it's true. I do feel powerless at this moment for letting these children die because of my carelessness. Even so, I don't want any sort of power or anything... I just want to make up for my mistakes. But I screwed up again...why must it be this way?_

He stood up, and saw Mikhail and Fionne lying on the ground, dead, in pools of their own blood. For a brief moment, he could see Edge and Reimi in the same state as the children, in his mind's eye. _Edge...Reimi..._ Crowe thought as he covered his mouth with his hand, his eyes starting to flood with tears once again. _If I let anything terrible happen to you two, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself... _He glanced away and closed his eyes, causing salty tears to stream down his face.

All of a sudden, a voice broke the solemn silence. "Uhh..."

"Oh, my," Sarah said. She quickly ran over to the young woman, and saw that it was Arianna Chliette, Mikhail and Fionne's former caretaker. She was also wounded; however, the wound was not fatal. "Are you okay, Miss Arianna?" Sarah asked.

"Sarah...?

"Just hold on," Sarah said. "I'll heal you." Clasping her hands together, Sarah began to chant a symbol, and then said, "Faerie Light." A small light flew from Sarah's hands and onto Arianna's wound. Once the light landed on the wound, it began to close, and the bleeding stopped.

"She'll be fine now," Sarah said. "All she needs is some rest." She lifted Arianna up onto her back.

"...Sarah."

Sarah looked at Crowe. "Yes?"

Still looking down, Crowe said in a faint tone of voice, "When Arianna recovers...I would like to speak with her."

Sarah seemed quiet for a second, then replied, "Okay. I'll let you know when she's better."

"Thanks."

As Sarah carried Arianna back to the inn, Crowe thought, _I'm glad in a sense...at least she's alive. At least... I haven't failed completely..._

Meracle walked over to Crowe. "Hey...you feeling okay?"

"Huh?" Brushing his tears away, Crowe said in his normal tone of voice, "I'm fine...we should report this to whomever is in charge."

As Meracle and Crowe followed Sarah back to the inn, they ran into a familiar face at the town square.

"Lady Eleyna...?"

"Eleyna..." Crowe said. "What...what brings you here?"

"It's a long story," she replied. Seeing the troubled look on Crowe's face, she asked, "Is everything okay?"

"I..." _I can't bear to tell her...not now. _"I'm fine, Eleyna."

By the dim moonlight, Eleyna could see Crowe's hands covered in blood, and saw a blood stain on his face - most likely from when Fionne touched Crowe's face, unbeknownst to Eleyna. "Is that...your blood?"

Crowe sighed. Looking at Eleyna for a split second, he then glanced away and quickly ran back to the inn, struggling to keep in control of himself.

"Crowe...!" Eleyna called out to him, but he kept running. She turned to Meracle, and asked, "Why is he...?"

Meracle sighed, and replied, "So much has happened...Crowe's been shaken up pretty badly. Even I don't know the whole story myself. Maybe he'll tell us." Eleyna and Meracle walked back toward the inn.

When they entered the room Meracle and Sarah were sharing, they saw Sarah kneeling down next to a bed Arianna was resting on. Eleyna asked Sarah, "Sarah...have you seen Crowe?"

"Yes, I have..." Sarah said, looking and sounding rather sad and serious. "He looked troubled...he said he was going to take a shower."

"I see..." Eleyna said, starting to walk out of the room. "Crowe's room is next to this one, correct?"

"Y-yes," Sarah said. "Why do you ask?"

"Trust me," Eleyna said. "Meracle...could you stay here with Sarah and Arianna? I just...want to talk to him...I want to make sure Crowe will be okay."

...

Looking at his reflection in the mirror for a moment, Crowe then disrobed and stepped into the shower. He shivered briefly, then sighed deeply as he felt the shower water trickle over his body. "It's...cold..." he murmured.

_Cold...just like when I held Fionne in my arms after she..._ He shook his head. _I can't let that get me down. I just have to move on..._

When he glanced down, he could see the blood that was on his hands being washed away into the drainage. It was then that he felt his eyes well up with tears once again. _Damn it...!_ _Why...? ...It's as if I had killed Mikhail and Fionne...as if I had killed Edge and Reimi..with those words..._ He lay on the floor in such a way so that the water would wash away his tears, curled into a fetal position, and, closing his eyes, began to cry quietly once more.

_If only I could just wash away my pain...my regret...my guilt... It hurts...it hurts too much._

"Mikhail...Fionne..." he began to sob in a low tone of voice. "Please...forgive me..." He could feel his tears starting to gush from his eyes, giving off a faint warmth but quickly being washed away into the drain, as the frigid shower water rained relentlessly on his exposed, vulnerable body.

_Is this what despair feels like...? To simply have all your hopes just evaporate into thin air?... Is there no hope for __**me**__...?_

...

It just so happened that Eleyna began to walk into Crowe's room, and heard him weeping in the shower. She walked outside the room and leaned against the wall. _So that's how it is,_ she thought. _ I had best wait...he seems to be in a lot of pain right now._ She sighed. _It's just as my augury predicted...this is only the first hardship he has to endure. Even so...I don't want him to have to suffer like this. I want to reach out to him..._

...

After a while, Crowe stopped crying. _How strange,_ he thought. _The pain is gone...but...it feels like my very spirit itself has been shattered. I can't feel anything right now. I...I just can't. _Slowly standing up, he turned off the water flow, dried himself off, dressed, bound his hair back up, and stepped outside of the shower room.

_I guess now would be a better time,_ Eleyna thought. She began to walk into Crowe's room. "Crowe?"

When their eyes met, Eleyna saw the deep sadness in Crowe's aquamarine eyes, as if they held the very sorrow of the sea's depths within them. Even so, he sounded detached and dull when he replied, "Y...yes, Eleyna?"

"Why must you hide your true feelings from me...?" Eleyna asked.

"Huh? !" Crowe was very surprised by Eleyna's strange question.

"You know very well what I mean," Eleyna said, almost convictingly. "I can sense it in you...you're trying to shoulder a heavy burden without having to draw the concern of others to you. Something happened...am I right?"

Crowe began to tremble. "I guess...I can't hide anything from you..." He sat down on his bed, and Eleyna sat next to him.

Eleyna looked at Crowe, and could already see the sorrow burdening him, becoming manifest. "Crowe...?"

"I can't believe...indirectly, I actually wished for their death..." He clenched his hands, which were resting on his lap, into fists, and his tears began to fall again.

"What are you talking...?"

"Eleyna...I..." He turned to her, his eyes watery from his sadness. "If I had known...that their friend had died...if I knew that that was the last time I would see them alive...I...wouldn't have said that!" He began to sob. "I wouldn't have said that I wished they'd see their friend again... I...I feel so...hopeless...why did something like this have to happen?"

Overcome by a great and inexplicable feeling, a feeling of compassion, Eleyna wrapped her arms around Crowe. Crowe drew closer to Eleyna, resting his head on her shoulder, and wept.

"It's not your fault, Crowe," Eleyna consoled him. "But still...you have to be strong. I am sure those children wouldn't want you to feel sad for what happened...so please...don't beat yourself up."

Drawing back and wiping away his tears, Crowe said, "You're right, Eleyna...thank you..."

As Eleyna walked over to the bed next to Crowe's, Crowe lay down in his own, and looked at the ceiling.

"Eleyna," Crowe said. "Will any more unnecessary sacrifices need to be made...will more people die?"

"I do not know," Eleyna replied. "But the next days...will be harder...but it's important you not give up. Only you can break this chain of sadness..."

"Thank you..." Crowe murmured, before falling asleep.

Still looking at Crowe, Eleyna pondered, _I can see it in you, Crowe...you are strong, but you still suffer silently...I want to ease your suffering. Let me be by your side right now..._

_**But the heart will remain**_

_**As a silhouette of time**_

_**Hear the ringing echoes**_

_**In the splitting horizon**_

_**Calling to the night...**_

* * *

**A/N: T_T This is just….oh my God, just… I can't believe how much I improved, and how emotional this chapter as a whole is….**

**So, we're officially at the halfway point now. What will happen next? I'll also try not to make the next chapters so delayed, since I am taking my final course in college after all! And I did turn 22 a few weeks ago…but no SO4 still. –sigh- One of these days, I tell you…**


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